Dodgers: Watch Longtime LA Player's Clutch Hit Against Former Team
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During his Dodgers tenure, Joc Pederson had plenty of hot and cold streaks. He made a NL All-Star team in 2015 by clubbing 20 home runs and logging a .851 OPS. In the second half of the season, he hit just six home runs and recorded a .617 OPS. But one thing has always been consistent, Joc struggles against left-handed pitchers.
Throughout his MLB career, Pederson has rode the pine when a lefty starter was on the mound for the opposing team. The trend has continued in San Francisco. Luckily for Pederson, right-handed Dodgers starter Walker Buehler was on the mound last night.
But Buehler was pulled after four innings due to a forearm injury and, manager Dave Roberts deployed left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl for the fifth inning. Bruihl struggled mightily, but with the bases loaded with two outs, Pederson was at the plate against the southpaw reliever.
Surely, the Dodgers must have liked their odds to get out of the inning still trailing the Giants 3-2. Instead, Pederson poked a single by a diving Freddie Freeman at first base to plate two runs and push the Giants lead to 5-2.
Joc had some clutch moments as a Dodger, but rarely, if ever, against left-handed pitching.
The Giants home crowd seemed to be well aware of the irony of Pederson inflicting the pain on the arch rival Dodgers.
The two teams are set to resume their game series today at 4:15PM PT with Clayton Kershaw getting the start for Los Angeles.
