The Los Angeles Dodgers may be carrying the biggest target in baseball, but Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer isn’t buying the idea that it makes them bad for the sport.
Hoyer praised what the Dodgers have built, especially after their aggressive trade deadline move to land Tarik Skubal, and said the reaction around baseball doesn’t change the fact that Los Angeles earned the right to make that kind of deal.
“The Dodgers have done a fantastic job in player development. They have a really good farm system. Scott did the best thing he could do for the Tigers, and got a lot of talent back,” he said on Marquee Sports Network.
“He’s an incredible pitcher, there’s no question about that. I know there’s been a reaction around baseball about it, but they put themselves in position to do that deal, and they did. That’s exactly what they should be doing.”
Hoyer also made it clear the Cubs aren’t shying away from the challenge in front of them. Chicago entered the week in the first National League Wild-Card spot, which would give the club a second straight playoff berth if it can hang on. With the Dodgers looking like the team to beat, Hoyer framed the task in blunt terms.
“That’s the team you’ve got to beat, right? Clearly, they’re going to be the favorites,” he began.
“They’ve won two times in a row. They’ve got the most talent in baseball, I don’t think there’s any question about that.
It’s a great challenge for everybody. Going back-to-back is an incredible accomplishment and I totally respect the fact they really pushed in to do it three times in a. row.
What an amazing thing to try to accomplish.
“It’s our job and everyone else’s job to make that not happen. They’re a really good team, and the pressure is on us.
We’ve had a good stretch so far, but they’re in a good position. So we’ve got to play really well to track them down.
It’s a great goal to try to do it.”
Chicago backed up that talk on the field, sweeping the Dodgers at home and handing Los Angeles a season-high six-game losing streak. The Cubs also spoiled Skubal’s Dodgers debut on Tuesday.
That sweep pulled Chicago within 4.5 games of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. For the Dodgers, the skid stretched to seven games and dropped them behind the Atlanta Braves for the second seed in the NL.
The series also marked Kyle Tucker’s first return to Wrigley Field since leaving in free agency, and Chicago made sure that moment came with a little extra sting. After the sweep, The Wieners Circle posted a photo of its marquee at 2622 N. Clark Street with a shot at Tucker.
“Swept those Mothertuckers back to LA LA Land,” the marquee read.
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SportsNet LA has steadily evolved since the channel launched, reshaping its broadcast team along the way and adding fresh elements to its set at Dodger Stadium. The latest ratings bump suggests Dodgers viewers are still willing to stay close to home for their coverage, even when a national outlet is carrying the same game. What makes that even more interesting is how much the networks identity has changed and how much attention this game might bring to the next step in its broadcast push. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than Their August Skid
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What has made the slump more unsettling is how quietly the offense has slipped since July 1. The Dodgers have landed in the bottom half of the league in several key areas, including home runs and overall batting performance, and they have not been creating enough plate appearances with runners in scoring position to fully cash in when chances do appear. For a club built to overwhelm teams with lineup depth, that is a more troubling development than any one bad week. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Prospect Kendall George Now Faces A Bigger Question After Freak Injury
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The bigger issue now is less about the unusual way the injury happened and more about how long it will take George to get right again. He let the news out on Instagram, and for a player whose value is tied so closely to burst and movement, any knee trouble creates real uncertainty about when he can get back to impacting games the way he usually does. [Read more 🡒]