The Dodgers reached 60 wins first, but the bigger reason they’ve separated themselves from the pack is hiding in plain sight.
On Monday night, Los Angeles outlasted the Colorado Rockies 8-7 in 11 innings, and the names at the center of it weren’t the ones usually driving the conversation. Eric Lauer gave the Dodgers six innings and a quality start, allowing three earned runs. Dalton Rushing finished it with a walk-off single in the 11th and went 3-for-5 overall.
That’s the kind of night that says a lot about a team. The stars matter, sure. But the Dodgers are also getting real production from players who weren’t supposed to be carrying this much weight.
Lauer is the clearest example.
He came over from the Toronto Blue Jays after they designated him for assignment in May, when he was sitting on a 6.69 ERA. The Dodgers brought him in to help patch together a rotation hit by injuries. What they’ve gotten instead is a pitcher who has settled in fast and become far more than a stopgap.
In seven appearances with Los Angeles, Lauer has already dropped his ERA to 4.84. He’s logged four quality starts and even delivered six no-hit innings out of the bullpen against the Minnesota Twins. For a staff that has had to absorb several injuries, the left-hander has been a steadying presence.
Rushing has been just as important, only in a different way.
The Dodgers weren’t counting on him to be a major factor with Will Smith handling most of the catching duties. But when Smith went down with an injury in early June, Rushing was pushed into regular action behind the plate. He hasn’t just filled the gap - he’s made it look like the Dodgers may already have something real.
His Monday night winner was the latest example, but not the only one. According to MLB analyst Blake Harris, Rushing has been the best hitting catcher in baseball this year among players with at least 190 plate appearances. He sits at 134 wRC+, just ahead of Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler at 133.
For a 25-year-old, that kind of production changes the conversation quickly.
It’s easy to point to the Dodgers’ payroll or the star power in the lineup when explaining why they’re sitting on top of the league. But the deeper story is how well they’ve turned useful pieces into difference-makers. Lauer and Rushing are the kind of players who don’t always grab the spotlight - until they do, and suddenly they’re a big part of why the Dodgers keep winning.
In Other News...
Max Muncy Opens Up As Dodgers Debut Carries Heartbreaking Weight
Max Muncys rise this season has come with more than just the usual on-field work, and he has been open about the role the Dodgers mental skills coach, Brent Walker, has played in helping him stay grounded. Walker, hired in 2020, has become a steady presence for players who need a quick conversation, some pregame work or simply someone available around the dugout and on the plane. For Muncy, that support has helped him keep his mental health in a good place while performing at a level that earned him an All-Star starting nod.
The same kind of human backdrop was part of the day when rookie catcher Eliezer Alfonzo reached the majors, a moment that carried far more weight than a standard debut. Alfonzo has been dealing with the recent loss of family members in the Venezuela earthquakes, and the timing of his first big-league appearance made the occasion especially emotional. He spoke about wishing his stepmother could have been there to see him make it, a reminder that sometimes a debut is about much more than the game itself. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Be Giving This Catcher A Bigger Chance Than Expected
A little extra catching depth turned into a more meaningful opportunity for Eliezer Alfonzo, who was brought up by the Dodgers to back up behind the plate while Will Smith stays on the injured list. Los Angeles also added Carlos Duran to the 40-man roster, a move that helped shuffle the catching picture and opened the door for Alfonzo to stick around with a clearer role than a typical emergency call-up.
Manager Dave Roberts made it clear the club wants a closer look at Alfonzo while Smith remains sidelined, and that could mean semi-regular playing time in the coming stretch. For a team trying to manage an injury-hit roster without losing stability at catcher, the next few games may tell the Dodgers whether Alfonzo is simply filling space or beginning to carve out a more lasting place on the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A Bigger Concern With Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasakis latest outing only deepened the questions around the Dodgers young right-hander, who was tagged by the San Diego Padres for six runs on seven hits over three innings, with three of those hits leaving the yard. It was the kind of start that can rattle a rotation spot and, for a pitcher still trying to settle in, it put the focus less on the result and more on what was happening before the ball even left his hand.
Dave Roberts and Dalton Rushing both pointed to the possibility that Sasaki was giving away something in his delivery, a concern that can turn a bad night into a bigger diagnostic problem. Sasaki acknowledged he has work to do and said he needs to identify what went wrong before his next turn, which only adds to the intrigue as the Dodgers try to get him back on track. [Read more 🡒]