SAN FRANCISCO -- Cody Bellinger appeared to be the 2019 National League MVP for a fleeting moment.
Bellinger was quick and balanced, which are two aspects of winning hitting that have been missing from him this season. It was a two-run, left-center double that brought the Dodgers to 4-1 lead and set the stage for Game 2, which saw a 9-2 victory by Bellinger.
Bellinger was.165 with an OPS of.542 this season. These numbers are shocking for a player who hit just.305 with 47 homers in his MVP season. Bellinger was also affected by injuries. This year, he played only 95 games. A season-long shoulder injury severely limited his swing coverage and reduced his confidence.
He was a slugger, constantly chasing off-speed pitches on the dirt and was often overstriding or jamming his hands on fastballs in the interior. Bellinger has been so bad that Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager, has had to repeatedly answer questions about why he keeps Bellinger in the lineup.
Then Leone entered the game to replace Kevin Gausman. He walked Chris Taylor and loaded the bases. Bellinger then threw a fastball to get it over that Bellinger hit to the gap in left center. His expression as he pulled up to second seemed straight out of a '19 movie.
Roberts laughed and said that he didn't see how it could harm him mentally. There can only be upside. He wanted to be a part of the large field and to be rewarded for it was huge. He was lifted a lot.
Dodgers 6-7-8 hitters went 0 for 9, with 5 strikeouts, in Game 1. They were 5 for 10, with two walks and four RBIs in Games 2. Bellinger and AJ Pollock were the major culprits in Game 1. They swung regardless of whether the ball was flying.
In Game 2, Bellinger struck out three more times, but Pollock had two hits. He followed Bellinger’s two-run double with a run of his own, effectively ending competition.
Pollock stated, "When you put up nine runs obviously everyone's going be feeling like your approach to the game is good." "If you put up zero runs, nobody will like it."
Long seasons are like fluorescent lighting. They can be harsh and unforgiving, which exposes every flaw. Teams realized that Bellinger's fly rod swing was not able to adjust to velocity. He received only high fastballs that he could catch up to and no breaking pitches.
The Dodgers insist that the problem isn't Bellinger's health or mechanics, but his approach. This is another way to say that he seems, with the exception of Game 2, to lack the confidence that earned him the 2019 MVP.
Bellinger, who is only 26 years old, has shown maturity beyond his years. Bellinger was asked before the game how he handles all the analysis of the swing. I am asked that question and answer it.
Bellinger answered the question, "I feel 100 percent right now. You know?" Although I don't know what my body looks like, I feel great."
Bellinger went into a clich mood after the game. He chose to divert talk about a personal revival by talking about his job and how he played to the situation. Bellinger took a swing with Game 2 despite the fact that another strikeout could have caused more disgusted bat flips and raised more questions about his utility in everyday play.
It was only one swing, but it still managed to alter the present and invoke the past.
