The Dodgers offense was dormant for the better part of two weeks. Even in their two wins against the Mets to open their three-game series they mostly struggled at the plate. Then the series finale came Wednesday and Los Angeles woke up and helped carry the club to a 10-3 win and a series sweep in New York.
Here's a quick rundown of the various good things that came out of LA's offense Wednesday:
1. No Mookie Betts, no Freddie Freeman
Betts and Freeman were a combined 0-for-8 with two walks in Wednesday's game. That the two stars atop the Dodgers' order didn't hit and LA still churned out double-digit runs. That they were 0-for-8 isn't good. That the Dodgers still scored without their production definitely is.
2. Shohei back
Shohei Ohtani was in the midst of an 11-game slump that saw him hit below .190 with only one home run. Wednesday he posted an RBI single in the fifth inning, and then capped their six-run rally in the eighth with an opposite field two-run homer. It was his first HR in more than two weeks. An extra source of encouragement with the home run was that he drove a pitch on the outer half out of the ballpark instead of rolling over on it. He saw the ball well Wednesday and it translated to a couple of hits.
3. No RISP problem!
The Dodgers were mired in a 9-for-66 stretch with runners in scoring position. They were bound to break out eventually and they did with a very nice 6-for-9 showing Wednesday. Ohtani, Miguel Vargas, Miguel Rojas, and Andy Pages all brought home runners who were in scoring position. Improving back toward the mean in with RISP will dramatically impact LA's offense moving forward.
4. Will Smith two times
Smith catalyzed the Dodgers' win in Game 2 against the Mets with a solo home run. He did the same thing Wednesday with a solo homer to open the scoring, then another to lead off the eighth and break a 3-3 tie. From there LA poured it on. While moving runners around the bases is paramount, hitting baseballs over the fence is also an effective way to do offense. For Smith it marked his first multi-homer game since Aug. 13 of his rookie season in 2019.
5. Miguel Rojas seizes opportunity
Rojas doesn't play every day for LA, but the 35-year-old took advantage of his start Wednesday. From the No. 8 spot in the order he went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. The bottom of the order was having a rough time getting rolling the last few games. Rojas helped ensure it didn't happen again in the finale vs. the Mets.
6. J-Hey's big impact
Heyward didn't get a start against the Mets. He still had a big-time impact. In two at-bats he smoked a triple and a solo home run after entering the game for Pages in the eighth. Injuries haven't helped Heyward's uneven start to the 2024 campaign. Games like Wednesday could certainly help him get back on track.
