While there have been encouraging moments, the Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t yet been able to fully reap the benefits of acquiring Rich Hill and Josh Reddick from the Oakland Athletics. Reddick was immediately inserted into the lineup but hasn’t produced.
Hill’s debut with the Dodgers was delayed on three separate instances. He eventually worked his way back from a blister to hold the San Francisco Giants scoreless over six innings. But Hill was then scratched from his start Wednesday because of concerns over his blister after the southpaw warmed up Tuesday night for a game that was postponed.
Reddick was in the lineup for the second game of the doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. He entered play batting a lowly .145/.202/.157 with one double over 24 games (20 starts) with the Dodgers.
On several occasions the 29-year-old has been a victim of bad luck — making solid contact only to lineout, or have a defender make a spectacular play.
As the Dodgers were mounting their improbable ninth-inning comeback on Wednesday, Reddick found himself stepping to the plate in a key situation.
Some good fortune was on his side as Reddick bounced an RBI single into center field, beating the Rockies’ shift.
While the base hit kept the line moving, it was also Reddick’s first RBI with the Dodgers. He discussed the relief that came with the run-scoring hit, via Ken Gurnick and Ben Weinrib of MLB.com
“To get the first one out of the way, even with so long a stretch, it does feel good to get it out of the way and especially in that situation,” said Reddick. “To keep the inning going and help this team win, and that’s something I haven’t really done, and that’s what they got me for, and I know it’s been as frustrating for me as it is for everybody else. I’m trying to grind through it, but I’m tired of waiting. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.”
Joc Pederson followed Reddick’s single with a walk that loaded the bases, and Andrew Toles hit an opposite-field grand slam to give the Dodgers a decided 10-8 lead. Going a prolonged stretch without making much of an impact isn’t anything new for Reddick.
His first hit with the Dodgers didn’t come until a fourth game with the club. Reddick entered that start 0-for-12 with one walk and two strikeouts, and went 0-for-3 with one strikeout before breaking the seal in the eighth inning of the Aug. 6 contest.
Naturally, it came with a sense of relief. Reddick’s first, and only, extra-base hit with the Dodgers is a double hit on Aug. 14.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently acknowledged frustration over a lack of success had set in for Reddick, which the rookie manager combatted by providing the outfielder with a game off. Roberts has nonetheless remained optimistic that Reddick will have an impact prior to season’s end.
