The Dodgers continued to celebrate last year's World Series victory by distributing the championship ring on Monday. The 49,702 people who purchased the tickets received a copy, while Gavin Lux played for the Dodgers last season and now played with the Cincinnati Reds.
If the team hopes to win more jewelry again this fall, the next five weeks will be key. Because the Dodgers led San Diego in a game in the NL West after defeating the Reds 7-0 on Monday, with 30 left in the regular season.
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But if the Dodgers (75-57) continue to play like Monday, when Andy Pags home runs twice, four runs and Emmet Sheehan threw a career-high seven points-free innings, they would have a hard time grabbing.
“The defense just got engaged, and everyone was engaged. The batsman, one to nine were great,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It's probably one of the better games we've played in months, the full game. What I'm really, really excited about is the way we play.”
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Also excited because what started with the marathon six months ago is now another race.
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“We're sprinting right now,” said Michael Conforto, who had two hits and performed well on the left court. “We are participating in the department.”
And, they took a step forward against Padres, who, like the Dodgers, have 10 series left, five at home and five on the road. However, based on the combined winning percentage of opponents entering the week (.474), San Diego's schedule is easier. The Dodgers have the most schedules.
For Roberts, his team was accepted by the narrow margin of error because it had the potential to cheer for his team in the playoffs rather than simply going to the playoffs.
Andy's page played a home run in the third inning against the Dodgers against the Reds on Monday. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
“The competition should bring you the best,” he said. “So, the margins are smaller, everything is more important, and your lead is big, and you don’t need an emergency because you don’t need it, and then you have to swap the switch, which is hard.”
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The Dodgers also quickly increased their playoff reinforcements. Rescuers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates returned from the injured roster last weekend, and utility player Kiké Hernández was activated on Monday. Third baseman Max Munchy and infielder/outfielder Hyeseong Kim may be back on his next road trip (if not before). Baoshou Tommy Edman and pitcher roki sasaki may not be far away.
Then came Sheehan (5-2), who had a great Monday performance, his career-best seven innings and matched a career-high with 10 strikeouts to win his third consecutive decision. Sheen gave up only two hits and left one.
“I absolutely have to base myself on it. Try to keep the same progress we've been doing, keep moving forward,” Sheehan said. “It's fun. Of course, it's more fun than watching the ball cross the fence.”
For Roberts, it seems like his team has won six new players.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts left to celebrate with right fielder Teoscar Hernández after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against the Reds on Monday. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
“These are deadline deals in themselves,” he said. “I do thank the guys who came here, a little bit of a hone. But it's nice to look at the horizon and see those people we're here.”
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The page allowed the Dodgers to stay ahead on the third Monday, driving a 102-mph fastball from Hunter Greene into the bullpen on the left field. He hit another inning in the fifth inning of the 23rd inning of the season, second only to Shohei Ohtani's 45 goals.
In sixth, Freddie Freeman's doubles, headed to Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández to load the base on the page, their two games fell under Elly de la Cruz and made two mistakes. Mookie Betts' home run, his second hit, finished seventh in seventh place, with the eighth page of the Sacrifice Fly ending the score.
Rescuers Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda followed Sheehan and threw an inning to finish the closed-door game, the team's fourth in the last 23 games.
The Dodgers have only three games in the first 109 games.
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It's a reinforcement now, although Kiké Hernández said he barely did it. On the list of injuries to left elbow inflammation on July 6, he tried three injections and a non-invasive rehabilitation procedure, but it didn't seem to work.
“I got to the point where I didn't know if this would happen. We were very close to it didn't happen,” he said. “I went through some procedures that didn't do anything. I went through four shots in a month, [the] The first three did nothing, and luckily the fourth one was the answer.
“I have no pain after the last shot.”
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Hernández said he is expected to start on Tuesday. He joined the Dodgers' sprint in time.
“From now on, it's the playoffs – atmospheric game,” he said. “Hopefully it brings the best people and teaches young people that by October, that moment wasn't too big for them.”
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The story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.