Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Mark Walter sold the Lakers for $12.5 biillion after owning the franchise for 10 months. If every reader of Dodgers Dugout can chip in $50 million, we might be able to buy the Dodgers.
Series with Brewers is important
The Dodgers begin a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at Dodger Stadium. Remember, the three division winners automatically qualify for the postseason, but the division winner with the worst record will have to play in the first round, while the other two skip the first round. And, if teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. Let’s look at those three teams as of Wednesday night:
1. Milwaukee, 74-47
2. Atlanta, 73-48
3. Dodgers, 73-48
The Dodgers are 2-1 against Milwaukee and 1-2 against Atlanta. So, the Dodgers will need to at least split the four games to maintain tiebreaker advantage over the Brewers. Of course, winning three of four or sweeping would be even better. If the Brewers win three of four, or sweep the Dodgers, then they will be in the driver’s seat for best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Dodgers have three games remaining against the Braves, Aug. 25-27 at Atlanta.
Let’s take a look at how the Dodgers and Brewers compare this season, through Tuesday.
Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.02 (third in the majors)
Milwaukee, 4.91 (fifth)
Batting average
Dodgers, .261 (first)
Milwaukee, .252 (sixth)
On-base percentage
Dodgers, .338 (second)
Milwaukee, .336 (third)
Slugging percentage
Dodgers, .428 (second)
Milwaukee, .396 (19th)
Doubles
Milwaukee, 214 (third)
Dodgers, 198 (ninth)
Triples
Milwaukee, 20 (seventh)
Dodgers, 12 (18th)
Home runs
Dodgers, 152 (seventh)
Milwaukee, 110 (30th)
As you can see, the Dodgers have more power than the Brewers, but Milwaukee makes up for it some in the next two categories.
Stolen bases
Milwaukee, 118 (fifth)
Dodgers, 46 (28th)
Sacrifice bunts
Milwaukee, 29 (second)
Dodgers, 12 (22nd)
ERA
Milwaukee, 3.54 (fourth)
Dodgers, 3.72 (seventh)
Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.54 (fourth)
Milwaukee, 3.56 (fifth)
Bullpen ERA
Milwaukee, 3.51 (fourth)
Dodgers, 4.02 (16th)
Pitcher strikeouts
Milwaukee, 1,169 (second)
Dodgers, 1,073 (eighth)
Pitcher walks
Dodgers, 373 (10th fewest)
Milwaukee, 376 (11th)
Home runs allowed
Milwaukee, 123 (seventh fewest)
Dodgers, 143 (20th)
Saves
Milwaukee, 38 (third)
Dodgers, 32 (14th)
Blown saves
Dodgers, 16 (T15th)
Milwaukee, 15 (T19th)
Inherited runners who scored%
Dodgers, 35.5%, 49 of 138 (23rd)
Milwaukee, 41.9%, 54 of 129 (28th)
The two teams are pretty evenly matched.
The big difference between the two is the Brewers just can’t seem to breakthrough in the postseason. They have made it in seven of the last eight seasons, but reached the NLCS only twice, losing both times to a very familiar team. Let’s look:
2018: Lost in NLCS to Dodgers, 4-3
2019: Lost NL wild-card game to Washington
2020: Lost in NL wild-card series to Dodgers, 2-0
2021: Lost in NLDS to Atlanta, 3-1
2022: Did not make postseason, finished with 86-76 record
2023: Lost in NL wild-card series to Arizona, 2-0
2024: Lost in NL wild-card series to New York, 2-1
2025: Lost in NLCS to Dodgers, 4-0
This is why it was such a surprise they didn’t do more to acquire Tarik Skubal. That would have given them a devastating 1-2 punch in Skubal and NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski. Instead, they acquired former Dodger Dustin May.
Keep in mind, it is not imperative to finish in the top two. The Dodgers had to play in the first round last season and that worked out OK. In fact, this season is looking amazingly like last season, with the shaky bullpen and strong starting pitching.
L.A. radio/TV icon Steve Edwards discusses the team
Steve Edwards, who had done just about everything in the local TV and radio landscape and is probably best remembered as longtime host of “Good Day L.A.,” is a longtime Dodgers fan and newsletter subscriber. He agreed to answer a few questions recently, and we thank him for his time. This was conducted via email.
Q. How long have you been a Dodgers fan, and do you have a favorite Dodgers memory and player?
Edwards: To a certain extent it started before the Stone Age. I was a kid in New York in a glorious time for baseball. We had three teams. We had the famous Willie, Mickey and the Duke playing center field for the three teams. The teams were always going to the World Series every year in some combination and it was an incredible time when baseball was the king of all sports and to be a kid in the middle of all of was nirvana (a word that didn’t exist in the a nine year old’s vocabulary-but sounds good now). As a Bronx Kid I was geographically predisposed to the Yankees.
But I loved the Dodgers, who couldn’t? Jackie Robinson was a heroic figure in my part of the world and you had Pee Wee and Campy and Hodges, Oisk, Skoonj and of course The Duke. Over the years I gradually flipped allegiance — falling more in love with the Dodgers — and falling out of love with The Steinbrenner Yankees, mainly because of Steinbrenner. Moving to L.A. sealed it. When I came to L.A. the teams were playing in The World Series and I realized I was clearly rooting for the Dodgers, a thing that would’ve made my mother, who was from Brooklyn, very happy.
Q. How do you assess this season’s team?
Edwards: Really good and yet disappointing. We are like spoiled children — we get more of everything — and of course want even more. Of course it will come together in time for the playoffs where Kiké will hit .900, Glasnow and Snell will pitch no-hitters and Freddie will hit a couple of walkoffs. Now if Tucker and Díaz can really come around……
Q. A genie grants your wish and says you are the owner of the Dodgers and can make three immediate changes. What changes do you make? It can be to the team, the stadium, whatever you want.
1. Keep Yordan Alvarez.
2. Have Frank McCourt never buy The Dodgers (or at least not hold on to a share of the land and parking lots).
3. I am a BIG BIG fan of Joe Davis and Stephen Nelson. We are so fortunate to have them, but I still wish we could hear Vin’s voice — a voice that was the soundtrack of so many of our lives — not only the best ever, but connected us as a community and help define Los Angeles.
Q. Recently, a website listed their 10 greatest Dodgers. A lot of fans were unhappy that Shohei Ohtani wasn’t among the top 10. Seems way too soon to consider him one of the 10 greatest Dodgers. What do you think?
Edwards: Shohei didn’t become the Face of Baseball until he became a Dodger. All those years, even with everything that he personally accomplished on a team with Mike Trout,didn’t really move the needle that much (that’s a whole other Q&A).
When he arrived with the Dodgers, it wasn’t just the needle moving, it was a seismic shift. He is already one of the most memorable Dodgers (or all of baseball) in history — so to ask if you should be considered top 10 is crazy, maybe some think he needs a few more years but he’s definitely should be considered and — come on —he’s in.
Q. Way back in the ancient times of 1991, I won WrestleMania tickets from you while you were hosting a show on KABC 790 (which may have been the greatest talk station in history). You have been a TV host and have done virtually everything. What was your favorite?
Edwards: That’s like choosing among your children or grandchildren. I’ve been incredibly lucky and grateful for all of it. But I really did love doing Sportstalk…
Q. My two favorite shows of yours were “Two on the Town” with Melody Rogers and “Good Day L.A.” with you, Jillian Barberie and Dorothy Lucey. We recently did a story on the three of you hosting a podcast. What was the genesis of that podcast, and how can readers listen to it?
Edwards: It came around organically, we’ve remained really good friends through the years with all the ups and downs of life. We were approached to do this, and it seemed like a natural thing to do. There were a lot of people who loved that show — there also a lot of people who were annoyed by it. For me it brings back a familiar feeling of trying to finish a sentence. Funny you mention Two on the Town — I’m about to have a FaceTime with Melody Rogers right after this. You can find the podcast on YouTube — “So Unanchored” with Jillian Barberie, Dorothy Lucey and Steve Edwards. It’s a good deal at the price — it’s free. You can find it by clicking here.
Up next
Thursday: Milwaukee (*Shane Drohan, 6-4, 3.87 ERA) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.54 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Friday: Milwaukee (*Robert Gasser, 3-4, 4.57 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-7, 2.65 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Milwaukee (Jacob Misiorowski, 11-5, 2.76 ERA) at Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 11-4, 3.44 ERA), 4:15 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Milwaukee (Logan Henderson, 6-2, 2.88 ERA) at Dodgers (*Tarik Skubal, 6-2, 2.93 ERA [0-1, 4.09 ERA with Dodgers]), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
In case you missed it
Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman appears to avoid serious injury in fall down dugout steps
Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing provides promising update on his elbow injury
Shaikin: The Shohei Ohtani Economy: A two-mile ride to Dodger Stadium, for $85
And finally
Highlights from the final game of Vin Scully‘s career. Watch and listen here.
Until next time …
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.