Trea Turner reminds Dodgers to back up Brink’s truck in first NLDS at-bat

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to send a statement in the NLDS against the San Diego Padres — a team that LA has dominated over the last two years. All of that gets washed away if the Padres somehow upset the Dodgers in the NLDS.

After a beautiful 1-2-3 inning by Julio Urias to kickstart the NLDS, Dodgers fans were begging for the offense to make its mark early in the game. Urias was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the regular season and any kind of early lead is massive for LA.

Trea Turner was able to not only grant Dodgers fans’ wish, but was able to shake any worry of a cold October in his first postseason at-bat. Turner entered the postseason as one of the Dodgers’ coldest hitters and that instantly wore off as Turner mashed a Mike Clevinger fastball into the left-field pavilion.

For those counting at home, that ball was 110.8 MPH off the bat and flew 419 feet into the night sky.

The Dodgers would be extremely foolish not to give Trea Turner a big contract after the postseason.

This might just be one at-bat, but it was a firm reminder to the franchise and the fanbase that Andrew Friedman and the front office have a pretty easy decision to make this offseason with Trea Turner. The team absolutely has to re-sign him to a new contract, regardless of how much it costs.

Turner has been one of the best shortstops in baseball and after trading prospects for Turner, and letting Corey Seager walk, it is a no-brainer that he should be the long-term shortstop at Chavez Ravine.

Turner’s first-inning home run was just the start of a strong first inning that saw Los Angeles push across multiple runs against Mike Clevinger. Not only did the team push across multiple runs, but they quickly piled up on Clevinger’s pitch count, which will result in San Diego going to the bullpen earlier.

While it might not seem like a big deal, those are the small differences that can win a five-game playoff series, especially when the Padres already had to go through the New York Mets in a three-game series.

Padres obviously terrified of Dodgers fans with feeble NLDS ticket policy

The Los Angeles Dodgers will square off against the San Diego Padres in the NLDS and the Padres are already tucking their tail between their legs.

That is the difference that Trea Turner makes. It might have only been one run, but that first-inning moonshot was the catalyst for a great start for the Dodgers.