DODGERS NEWS: DAVE ROBERTS HAS SUGGESTION TO MITIGATE CHRISTIAN WALKER’S DOMINANCE

The Los Angeles Dodgers faced a tough defeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, losing 12-4 despite an early lead. The game took a turn in the third inning when the Diamondbacks erased a 4-1 deficit with a series of hits, led by Christian Walker’s impressive performance.

Walker, who started his day with a walk in the third inning, ended up going 4-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored, and four RBIs. His success at Dodger Stadium is nothing new; in 41 career games there, he has hit 17 home runs and boasts a 1.129 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Walker's exceptional play, noting that the team seems to bring out the best in him. Walker nearly added a third home run to his tally, but his sixth-inning double fell just short of clearing the left-field wall.

“Gosh, yeah, I don’t know,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Walker. “Yeah, the numbers are like better than Shohei’s here at Dodger Stadium. It’s a division rival, I do think that we bring out the best in him.

“He actually plays really well at home against us, as well. But at this ballpark, it’s otherworldly. He doesn’t give anything away, he really doesn’t. I’ve said it, he’s one of the guys I really enjoy watching play.

“Even the (Michael) Petersen at-bat, ball at his face and he stays in there and hits a homer off of him. He just doesn’t give anything away. So you’re trying to navigate (Ketel) Marte and Joc (Pederson), and you got that guy always looming and he seems to always come up with guys on base.”

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Walker’s performance this season has been stellar, particularly at Dodger Stadium. In five games there this year, he has batted .409 with two doubles, five home runs, and eight RBIs. His ability to consistently perform well against the Dodgers makes him a significant threat in any matchup.

Roberts even suggested that he could consider intentionally walking Walker if the situation was right for it.

“I think you got to also understand the game situation,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to put him on to load the bases either, right? So if the situation calls for it, yeah.”

As the Dodgers look ahead to potential future games against the Diamondbacks, including possible postseason encounters, they may consider issuing intentional walks to Walker in critical situations to mitigate his impact.

2024-07-05T13:59:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd