LOS ANGELES — With an assortment of gamers coming back from the injured checklist in latest weeks and Mookie Betts shifting from shortstop again to proper area, Jason Heyward has turn out to be one thing of an odd man out for the Dodgers. Supervisor Dave Roberts has famous that begins for the veteran outfielder could be extra occasional from this level ahead.
Heyward confirmed simply what an asset he could be off the bench on Tuesday evening, hitting a tiebreaking three-run house run within the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Mariners at Dodger Stadium.
“I simply actually consider the sport honors you, and the sport honored him tonight,” Roberts mentioned of Heyward. “He does issues the appropriate manner, he was prepared when known as upon, and he got here up with an enormous hit. Shoot, that was in all probability the spotlight for me of the season to this point.”
Trailing for many of the sport, the Dodgers clawed again to knot issues up within the seventh. With two on and two out within the eighth and the Mariners’ nearer, right-hander Andrés Muñoz on the mound, Roberts opted to ship up the left-handed-hitting Heyward to pinch-hit for Kiké Hernández.
The fireballing Muñoz supplied Heyward straight warmth. Heyward fouled off a 99.7 mph four-seamer for strike one. Fastballs at 98 and 98.9 mph made it a 2-1 rely.
Then, 99.2 mph up within the zone. Heyward swung and drove it simply over the low wall in proper area, scoring Will Smith and Max Muncy and placing the Dodgers forward for good.
“That was a pleasant at-bat,” mentioned Heyward. “ … Good swing on the first pitch [for Muñoz] to get forward. Good couple takes, and good job of simply being prepared for an additional one someplace close to the zone to place a superb swing on.”
Heyward has loved an honest quantity of pinch-hitting success, each in his profession and this season. On June 18 in opposition to the Rockies at Coors Discipline, he got here off the bench to hit a grand slam. He’s now 19-for-70 (.271) with three homers as a pinch-hitter in his 15 years within the Majors.
The important thing, in response to Heyward, is to not overthink issues, “since you don’t have numerous time.”
“That is type of the identify of it, is simply go up there, belief your strategy, and if it comes by, superb,” mentioned Heyward. “If it does not, go up there and see if there’s anything you possibly can tweak the subsequent time — however nonetheless not overthinking it.”
It’s been an up-and-down 12 months for Heyward, who has seen his OPS climb as excessive as .844 on June 19 earlier than dropping to .658 getting into Tuesday’s sport. His season has been interrupted twice by IL stints; he missed a month and a half with decrease again tightness early on, then was out for an additional couple of weeks in July with a a left knee bone bruise. Since being activated from the IL on July 21, Heyward had batted simply .204 with a .569 OPS in 20 video games.
That’s not the type of efficiency the Dodgers are searching for as they struggle to say their eleventh Nationwide League West division title prior to now 12 seasons, a race that’s grown more and more tight during the last month.
And the roster crunch isn’t carried out for Los Angeles. Utility man Chris Taylor is because of return from a left groin pressure someday within the subsequent week, and Roberts has made it clear that the membership will function with 13 positions gamers and 13 pitchers up till rosters increase to twenty-eight gamers in September. Which means somebody goes to need to be faraway from the lively roster quickly — and choices are restricted at this level. Which means Heyward may, as soon as once more, be the odd one out when it comes time for the powerful choice to be made.
“Years like this one, when a staff goes for it and so they wish to be all-in, I feel they at all times need to put their finest foot ahead and no matter occurs, occurs, and that is part of it,” mentioned Heyward. “However I feel personally, it is fairly cool to be No. 23 for this membership, to hit a pair majestic, No. 23-type homers. … A pinch-hit grand slam and a pinch-hit three-run homer for our guys to return by was fairly particular.”
