When a team is streaking, the universe and the stars sometimes align to give it the best of luck and good fortune.
Slumping players suddenly get hot, injured players get healthy, and balls that were being caught for outs start falling for hits.
It happens in all sports, and MLB is no exception.
This appears to be happening to the Los Angeles Dodgers except for one thing: it’s mainly sound roster construction, good planning, and excellent player development rather than luck.
Austin Barnes’ home run on Thursday gave them the lift they needed to win a tough game against Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Barnes was mired in a horrible slump, but got all of a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie.
“Austin Barnes entered this game with a .123/.206/.139 slash line with 0 home runs in 138 plate appearances on the season. He just homered to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead over the Brewers in the 8th,” The Comeback tweeted.
Austin Barnes entered this game with a .123/.206/.139 slash line with 0 home runs in 138 plate appearances on the season.
He just homered to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead over the Brewers in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/PKhz5nw9Ty
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 18, 2023
Even after the game and the home run, Barnes has a paltry .392 OPS.
Yes, his season has been that bad: he is hitting .136/.216/.176, which is one of the worst lines in the league.
For a night, however, he was the hero and gifted his team a great victory to support Lance Lynn’s excellent start.
His contributions go beyond what he can do at the plate, but if he can start offering a bit more production on offense, the Dodgers lineup could be unstoppable.
NEXT: Lance Lynn Comments On Playing For The Dodgers
