The Los Angeles Dodgers entered play Saturday having collected 31 hits over the first two games against the Colorado Rockies, but still were without a home run. L.A. led the Majors last season with 118 long balls.
“We’re not just relying on the home run ball. How many times have we heard that in the past?” Justin Turner asked the media following Friday’s win — the Dodgers’ first of the season. “This is a well-rounded offense that can beat you in a lot of ways.
“It’s not just about sitting back and hitting homers.”
Of course, the Dodgers nearly had a home run on Opening Day. But Turner believed Raimel Tapia made a leaping catch at the wall and sprinted back to first base, passing Cody Bellinger and taking the homer away.
Although Mookie Betts and Turner were not in the lineup Saturday, the Dodgers continued to swing hot bats collectively. They also received their first home run of the season, both in unpredictable fashion and from an unexpected source.
With the score tied in the eighth inning, Zach McKinstry hit a drive to left field that Tapia almost came up with. He again lost control of the ball upon colliding with his glove, but this time it remained in the field of play.
McKinstry continued to race around the bases for the inside-the-park home run. “I think I was about halfway to second base when I saw the ball was just laying next to the fence out in left field and Tapia was right around 20 feet from it,” McKinstry explained.
“I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I have a little shot here to get around these bases.’ Off the bat I thought it was a home run. … I was very excited. I saw Gavin when I got to third telling me to stay up. It was a really cool feeling.”
The home run was the first of McKinstry’s big league career, but he’d previously hit an inside-the-park round tripper in high school. “This one was definitely a little cooler. I think I hit this one a little harder, too,” McKinstry said.
His parents were in attendance as they arrived in Denver on Friday and will also catch the series finale at Coors Field.
Seager swinging it
Corey Seager added to what’s been a blistering start to the season by going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI. He’s collected at least two hits in all three games so far and is batting .667/.750/.833 with two doubles, three RBI and four walks.
Seager and Cody Bellinger will be out of the lineup Sunday.
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