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Dodgers: Giants announcer has dumbest possible theory about LAD’s 2021 season

ByThomas Carannante|
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 03: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks back to the dugout after the first inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on August 3, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 03: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks back to the dugout after the first inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on August 3, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the second-best team in Major League Baseball, regrettably behind the division-rival San Francisco Giants. LA has won 88 games. It’s hard to ask them to do much more when they’re on pace to win 100 games.

But according to Giants play-by-play announcer Dave Flemming, perhaps there is — or at least was — something the Dodgers could’ve done to … what, go undefeated? Again, the only team with more wins is the Giants!

In a fairly provocative twist, Flemming suggested this week that the Dodgers “changed” when the “sticky stuff” ban took effect a few months ago.

Ah, yes, because when two of your starting pitchers are leading the MLB in ERA, it’s clear your team has taken a step back because foreign substances no longer exist.

Giants announcer Dave Flemming called out the Dodgers in a very dumb way.

And the way he starts this off? Hilarious.

"“This is not a controversial statement, but the rule changed about the sticky substances, and that changed the Dodgers team,” Flemming said, via 95.7 The Game. “They’re still good, still really really good, but Walker Buehler can no longer throw a fastball one after another by the Giants. Julio Urias can no longer blow the Giants away with pure stuff. It changed those guys, it did. That, to me, changed this season. And the Dodgers have been impacted by that more than anybody, if you check out all the numbers, they have been.”"

Not controversial! At all! Let’s check out the numbers, Dave!

  • Dodgers’ team ERA: 2.98 (first in MLB)
  • Dodgers’ starters’ ERA: 2.88 (first in MLB)
  • Dodgers’ relievers’ ERA: 3.17 (third in MLB)
  • Max Scherzer’s ERA: 2.28 (first in MLB)
  • Walker Buehler’s ERA: 2.31 (second in MLB)
  • Julio Urias’ win total: 16 (first in MLB)
  • Julio Urias’ ERA: 3.11 (13th in MLB)

Wait, there are more stats!

  • Buehler vs Giants: 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA in six starts in 2021 (four of those starts came after the sticky stuff ban)
  • Urias vs Giants: 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts in 2021 (three of those starts came after the stick stuff ban)

The Dodgers also have a BETTER RECORD than the Giants since the ban.

Any more brain busters?

What changed the Dodgers’ season was Dustin May’s Tommy John surgery, Trevor Bauer’s excommunication from the league, and Clayton Kershaw’s elbow injury. On offense? Mookie Betts’ constant nagging injury issues and Cody Bellinger’s unforeseen league-worst regression.

And still, they only trail the Giants by 2.5 games in the NL West. This is really going to look even dumber if the Dodgers come back and swipe the division down the stretch, isn’t it?

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