Despite the likes of Max Muncy and Justin Turner getting off to slow starts this season, and Mookie Betts and Trea Turner among those who have had inconsistent performances, the Los Angeles Dodgers still enter play Thursday with the best record in the National League.
They’re coming off a 4-2 record on a road trip that saw Justin Turner begin to find some success at the plate. His quality of contact improved and helped lead to a four-hit game with three doubles against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The performance validated confidence Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently expressed. “I do know he’s preparing like he always has, he’s putting in the work,” Roberts said. “I think there’s been some hard contact in there, there hasn’t been the walk, which is not what he normally does as far as the on-base.
“There’s a little expanding in there, there’s a little bit of when you’re getting pitches that you should handle, you’re missing. He’s a pro, man. I’m going to keep running him out there.”
As for Muncy, he’s drawn more walks (25) than hits (12) through 113 plate appearances this season. He endured a particularly rough road trip, going 1-for-14 with one triple, eight walks and four strikeouts while appearing in five games (four starts).
“I think he’s starting to come around. It hasn’t shown itself. I think there’s obviously a lot of talk about hitters not getting rewarded for quality contact; I think it’s real,” Roberts said last week.
“So I think the internal struggle is to keep going when you’re not getting the results. There’s been some good at-bats, solid contact, he’s still taking walks, I still like the quality of at-bat. It’s easy to bet there’s going to be positive results coming.”
Turner leg kick
April historically has been a month in which Turner does not perform to the level of expectations, but admitted his quality of at-bats had declined from prior years. Turner dismissed age as being to blame, and so too did Roberts, instead noting challenges a leg kick can make for.
“It is harder with a guy that has a leg kick and he’s not feeling well, to sync back up, yes,” Roberts said. “That’s what he’s done for quite some time and had success. I just know that it doesn’t fall that quickly. Obviously the first thing people will point to is age.
“When a player is not doing that well and he’s up there in age, that’s the first look. But I think there’s more to it and I know there’s some things he’s going to tinker with to figure it out. I don’t see him abandoning the leg kick.”
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