Trea homers twice as LA cruises into break with sweep

Muncy, Freeman also go deep to back strong bounceback start from Urías

July 17th, 2022

ANAHEIM -- The first Home Run Derby ever contested at Dodger Stadium on Monday will not have a representative from the home team, so the Dodgers took it upon themselves to deliver a long-ball preview Saturday.

In the Dodgers’ final game before their break began, Trea Turner turned his first two at-bats into home runs in an apparent effort to make sure weekend All-Star festivities stretched south on the 5 freeway all the way to Anaheim.

Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman also hit home runs in a 7-1 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium as the Dodgers won their fourth consecutive game and came out on top for the 11th time in their last 12 contests. Going back to June 29, the Dodgers are 15-2 while padding their lead atop the National League to 9 1/2 games.

“I think the rest will be nice, just because you’re playing every day and it’s a long season,” Turner said. “Just remember what you were working on, get healthy and rested for the second half.”

Turner is one of two Dodgers who will be in the starting lineup of Tuesday’s All-Star Game, along with right fielder Mookie Betts. Three starting pitchers also will be on hand: Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson.

Yet when it comes to the Home Run Derby, no Dodgers will participate, making it the first time since 2012 at Kansas City that the home team will not have a representative. Slightly less power-reliant than in recent seasons, the Dodgers’ offensive balance has them going into their break with an NL-best .770 OPS. Turner is 12th in the NL in that category at .847.

“I feel that’s how we’re built: Get on base and keep the line moving, kind of deal,” Turner said. “We can do a lot of different things, whether it’s play small ball. moving runners, hitting the ball the other way or hitting the ball out of the ballpark, take walks. We can do a lot of different things. That’s what we expect, to win different ways, and tonight was the homer.”

In the first inning against Angels left-hander José Suarez, Turner hit a first-pitch curveball over the wall in center field for a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, with Gavin Lux aboard after a walk, Turner hit a one-out fastball over the wall in left-center for a 3-0 advantage. It was his 14th of the season.

Three batters later, Muncy launched a three-run shot into the seats in right-center, his ninth.

It was Turner’s first multi-homer game of the season, the 11th of his career and his first since Oct. 1 of last season against the Brewers. It was his third multi-homer game as a member of the Dodgers.

While former Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager will be a participant in the Home Run Derby, Turner was just making sure his power was being recognized this week.

A rare Dodgers starting pitcher not to make the All-Star team, Julio Urías rebounded from a season-low two-inning start against the Cubs last weekend to give up one run over a season-best seven innings against the fading Angels.

Another Dodgers player not on the All-Star Game roll call is Freeman, whose fifth-inning home run gave him 1,000 career RBIs to become the 294th player in AL/NL history to reach that milestone. He has 13 homers on the season and roared into the break batting .563 (18-for-32) over an eight-game hitting streak.

“It’s the place I came to as a kid watching big leaguers play for the first time in my entire life,” said Freeman, an Orange County native. “To be able to get 1,000 RBIs in the place I came a lot when I was a kid, with about 20 family and friends in the stands, is pretty special.”

The Dodgers improved to 60-30 at the break and are just the second team to reach the 60-win mark after the New York Yankees.

“We’ve done a good job of playing good baseball the last month to put ourselves in a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m really excited. I don’t seem excited right now, but I am excited with the way we’re playing.”

Despite a bumpy run from the end of May into the middle of June, now long behind the club, Roberts gave his team an unprompted grade of A-minus.

The grade left a little room for improvement with utility man Chris Taylor due back in the second half from a broken foot and the expectation that Muncy improves on a .160 batting average and a .631 OPS. The returns of right-handers Walker Buehler and Dustin May are ahead, while the back end of the bullpen could use better health.

Despite those obstacles, the Dodgers are more than satisfied with where they stand. Saturday’s long-ball show is just another reason why confidence is high.

“We’ve done a really nice job,” Roberts said. “I expect to be in first place. We all do. But how we got there I think is most important. Losing key pieces, nobody fretted. We just have to keep moving on and keep the blinders on. This break is coming at the right time because we are going hard into the break.”

As a reward, the Dodgers will get a rare Sunday off.

“I don’t remember the last Sunday [off] during a Major League season,” Roberts said. “I have a beach barbecue planned. It’s going to be weird. And I will probably watch baseball too.”

As it turns out, a free Sunday is not much different than a busy one. Aside from the beach. And the barbecue.

“It’s a sickness, I know,” Roberts joked.