Photos: Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Yasiel Puig squared up on the 2-1 pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday and hit it hard to center fielder Odubel Herrera, almost as hard as he lined the 3-2 pitch in the fourth inning that Herrera had to make an awkward leaping catch to corral. That drive was recorded at 109 mph off Puig’s bat.
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Seven games into July, Puig is having meager results at the plate, going 5 for 28 with two doubles, two walks and eight strikeouts. It’s not out of impatience: Puig is second in the National League in pitches per plate appearance (4.60).
The only guy struggling more this month for the Dodgers is Joc Pederson, who is 2 for 24 with a double, a walk and seven strikeouts. Pederson is seeing 4.19 pitches per plate appearance this month (16th in the NL), but for the 15 times he has put the ball in play, he has two hits to show.
There’s little that’s harder to watch than a batter who really needs something to fall in not get that hit, but of course, it’s something every player cycles through. In any case, the Dodgers are 4-3 despite their starting center and right fielders combining for a .196 on-base percentage and .192 slugging percentage. Puig and Pederson are too good to stay that low for long.
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