[ad_1]
the Dodgers He will face a tough roster decision when he becomes the man in charge. Chris Taylor Ready to be activated in the next week or so, which could force a game of musical chairs where one of the four players – the outside linebackers – is the chosen one. Jason Hayward and Kevin KiermaierEscort man Kiki Hernandez Taylor – no longer has a place on the bench.
Heyward timed it right to hit a three-run home run to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Dodgers to a dramatic 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night in front of a crowd of 48,395 at Chavez Ravine.
The score was a 3-3 draw when Will Smith Hayward got hit hard in the eighth inning, and Max Muncy came out. Tommy Edman came out, but Hayward turned hard on a 99 mph fastball at the top of the box from Anthony Munoz, and sent a 108 mph laser over the short wall in right for a 6-3 lead.
“I really think the game honors you, and the game honored him tonight,” coach Dave Roberts said of Hayward. “He does things the right way. He was ready when called upon, and he hit a big hit. That was probably the highlight of the season for me so far.”
Read more: Blaschke: Gone but never forgotten: Dodgers must bring Justin Turner home
Heyward had another standout performance on June 19 at Coors Field when he hit a home run off the right field foul pole to spark a seven-run ninth inning to give the Dodgers an 11-9 win over the Colorado Rockies.
The 15-year veteran is batting just .208 with an on-base percentage plus a solid .682 slugging percentage, six home runs and 28 RBIs in 63 games this season, but he has three career home runs and a solid left-handed bat off the bench that could be valuable in October.
I think [the decision] “It's going to be what it is, no matter what,” Hayward said. “In years like this, when the team is at its best, I think it's always got to be at its best, and whatever happens, happens.
“But I personally think it's pretty special to be No. 23 for this club, and to hit a bunch of big home runs, like, No. 23, not in the postseason, but for where we want to go, because a big hit and a three-point home run is pretty special.”
Read more: How Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler Seek to Get Back into Dodgers' Playoff Plans
Roberts wouldn't go so far as to say that Hayward's powerful strikeout cemented his place on the list, but it certainly didn't hurt his case.
“CT will be back, and obviously that's part of what we've done and what we're going to do this year and next year,” Roberts said. “That's the hard part of the job. It's good to have a lot of good players, but you have a limited number of places. Unfortunately, one of them is going to be a casualty. I don't know the answer right now.”
Hayward was the team's perfect starter, never complaining about his role on the team during the first half of the season or about the further decrease in playing time when Mookie Betts moved from center fielder to right fielder after returning from a fractured left hand last week.
“I mean, he’s the definition of a professional with everything he does for this club and on this field,” Muncy said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without him. He’s a big part of this team and this club, and it’s really great to see him get that hit. He’s a great teammate, a great person, a great player.”
Read more: Freddie Freeman suffers hairline fracture, but won't miss Dodgers games
Muncy can't fathom letting Heyward go, but Kiermaier is a four-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder who delivered some big hits on last week's trip, Hernandez can play almost any position, and the versatile Taylor delivered some crucial hits in the playoffs.
We have men [on the bench] “Who would be a star in any other lineup,” Muncy said. “Obviously it’s going to be a tough decision. None of us know what it’s going to be. But everybody’s still trying to go out and win the game. That really speaks to who we are as a team. There’s not a single person here who’s worried about themselves. They’re just trying to win the game.”
Walker Buhler The Dodgers were left in a 3-0 hole with his second shaky start since returning from a right hip injury last week. The right-hander struggled through four innings, three runs, seven hits, 82 pitches, striking out one batter, walking three and struggling with his control.
Buehler, who is trying to regain some semblance of his pre-Tommy John surgery form, needed three pitches to record two hits and 79 pitches to get 10 more. He allowed one hit with the bases loaded, two hits to Jorge Polanco in the first inning and a double to Polanco in the third. He had a scuffle with home base umpire CB Bucknor in the fourth.
“I didn't throw the ball very well, but our team really helped me and got us back in the game,” Buehler said.
The Dodgers cut the deficit to 3-2 when Gavin Lux and Muncy both hit home runs in the fourth inning, with Lux sending a 390-foot shot to center field to continue his monthlong scorching streak, while Muncy launched a 407-foot shot to the back of the right-field relief bullpen for his second home run in two games since returning from an oblique strain.
Lux was batting at a .211 average with an on-base percentage plus a solid slugging percentage of .556, three home runs, eight doubles and 24 RBIs in 79 games through July 19. In 29 games since then, the second baseman has batted at a .372 average (35 of 94) with seven home runs, 10 doubles and 21 RBIs, raising his season average to .254 and his OPS to .713.
The Dodgers tied the game 3-3 in the seventh when Edman opened the game with a double to right-center and scored on a double from Betts to left.
The Dodgers' five relievers — Alex Vescia, Ryan Brazier, Anthony Banda, Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson — allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings, and Heyward delivered the deciding blow in the eighth inning as the Dodgers maintained their lead in the National League West by three games over San Diego and four over Arizona.
“You don’t think about it too much, because you don’t have a lot of time,” Hayward said when asked how hard it was to come off the bench and hit a 99-mph fastball into the top of the box. “I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for a moment like this, and you just want to go out there, trust your approach, and if it works, it’s great.”
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. It's presented at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
[ad_2]
Source