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Dodger Blue > Dodgers News > Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Credits Justin Turner, Chase Utley For Motivating Team
Dodgers News

Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Credits Justin Turner, Chase Utley For Motivating Team

Matthew Moreno
April 17, 2018
2 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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As the Los Angeles Dodgers trudged through the first week of the season and got off to their worst start since 1988, the popular refrain within the clubhouse was how much baseball was left to be played.

It factually wasn’t incorrect, but the Dodgers also looked nothing of the part of a team that was one win shy from a World Series. Yes, not having Justin Turner in the lineup on a daily basis can have that impact.

But Los Angeles largely struggled top to bottom, and had their approach at the plate called into question by manager Dave Roberts on multiple occasions. After falling to 4-9, they’ve responded with back-to-back wins.

More importantly for the Dodgers, the quality of at-bats mirror those that constantly took their toll on opposing starting pitchers in 2017. One explanation may be Turner and Chase Utley addressing the team to emphasize working counts.

After a rout of the San Diego Padres, Roberts credited Turner’s and Utley’s message for

Jay Paris on MLB.com:

“I think is a direct reflection of what those guys said,” Roberts added. “It’s very powerful when the team leaders to step up and give their thoughts. And for the rest of the guys to buy into that the last couple of days, we saw the results.”

The Dodgers have scored 17 runs in their last two wins and chased starters Zack Godley and Robbie Erlin in four-plus and three innings, respectively. They’ve worked the Arizona Diamodbacks’ and Padres pitching staffs for 14 walks but also struck out 24 times.

Last season, the Dodgers led the Majors with a 10.5 percent walk rate and 26.2 percent rate at which they swung at pitches outside of the strike zone. This season they’re second overall in plate discipline (25.2 percent) but 23rd in walk rate (8.4 percent).

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TAGGED:Chase UtleyJustin TurnerLos Angeles Dodgers
ByMatthew Moreno
Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Executive Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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