Michael Cody Stephenson: What’s up everybody?
You’re listening to episode two of the blue and red podcast.
I’m your host Michael Cody Stephenson.
I’m a writer on the Talon Marks newspaper at Cerritos College.
Thanks for returning and listening to the blue and red podcast. And right off the top.
We’re still not talking about politics on this podcast never have, never will. This is a baseball podcast.
The blue representing my Los Angeles Dodgers my favorite baseball team ever, and the red representing the other team in California up the road in Orange County.
For whatever reason, their name is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Last week I told you about what these teams did in the offseason to get better.
Angels had a lot of work to do Dodgers have been that staple across major league baseball for the last decade it seems and being a contender every single year.
On this week’s podcast we are going to talk about how teams are doing to start this season.
And the angels have shocked we’ll start with them.
They’ve shocked a lot of people their fans are excited.
I know a lot of Angel friends and right away they’re excited about how they’re doing and that’s rightfully so.
Currently the angels are in first place in the American League West Division, a division that has been run by the Houston Astros for the past five years.
But the angels currently sit up the top of the AL West division with a 13-7 record and the bright spots for them, of course, have been:
Mike Trout, three MVPs to his name, and Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher slash hitter that’s doing it off of the angels everything’s clicking Mike Trout after an injury last season returns this season.
It looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.
So a 13-7 record and we’ll go over what they did this past week.
They started off strong this season, lost a couple of close games but beat teams they should have been beating and then the Orioles came to town this past weekend and the Orioles one of the worst teams in baseball and almost swept them in the three games they played against each other.
The angels squeaked by winning the final game of that series on a seven to six final score.
And then the newly Cleveland guardians came to town to Anaheim for a four game series with the angels and the angels newcomer Michael Lorenzen pitches the first game in that series six innings, no runs allowed the angels when that one and then on Tuesday night the angels went again that’s three in a row for them.
On Wednesday. I actually went to the game that Shohei Ohtani was pitching it I think it’s always work to go see a game especially if it’s the angels and Shohei Ohtani is on the mound.
So I went to that game it was a blast. I had a lot of fun. I love baseball in general.
I’m going to any game that I have tickets offered to me and the angels ended up winning that game, four winning streak for the angels, and they finish off a four game series sweep in the final day of that series on Thursday.
Congrats to the angels that are looking good.
Now we move on to the Dodgers.
The highest of expectations expected to be competitive every single year trying to win a World Series they want to just a few years ago in 2020, shortened MLB season. We know COVID was going around.
They only played 60 games and the Dodgers ended up winning that one not a lot of people are gonna give them credit. I’m always gonna give them credit.
So how are the Dodgers doing?
Well, they started off playing the Colorado Rockies to start their season last two out of three there a lot of people were upset about Dodgers.
The angels had a better record to start. But that was only three games the Dodgers ended up winning seven straight games after their first games of the season.
And then this past week, they took on the San Diego Padres who have been on their heels the last couple of seasons trying to push the Dodgers but haven’t been able to do it.
They built a competitive team. So when the Dodgers went up to San Diego this past weekend, they took two out of three games.
Mookie Betts started to get hot he had a two home run game and the first game Friday and then Cody Bellinger.
The other former MVP who had a rough spring training this year.
He had a two homer game for himself on the Sunday the final game of that series daughters take two out of three and then they hit the road again to Arizona to take on the lowly Diamondbacks.
Now, this is where I get upset.
You got to beat the teams you’re able to you’re able to beat you have to beat the teams that are at the bottom of the division.
Not really competitive. You have to win those games.
The Dodgers dropped two out of three in Arizona. But that first game it was something special. Walker Buehler.
The ace of the staff currently, as Clayton Kershaw gets older Bueller’s pitched in some of the biggest games the last couple of years.
So be aware on that Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. There was the first complete game
What is a complete game you may be asking you if you’re new to baseball? that’s pitching all nine innings.
It only took him 108 pitches he struck out 10.
It was one of the best starts that we’ve seen at Walker Buehler in his young career.
But then the next two games the Dodgers lost to the Diamondbacks losing two out of three that is unacceptable.
Us Dodger fans will not accept losing two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nope. Not a chance. No way.
So the Dodgers had an off day Thursday this weekend coming in They’ve got the Detroit Tigers.
As the Dodgers head home for a three game series with the Tigers, another team that’s not very good.
They should be able to beat them. But on Saturday night, if you were going to watch any game Saturday night, please tune in when Clayton Kershaw takes them out for the Dodgers because he’s only four strikeouts away from becoming the all time strikeouts leader in Dodger history and in Dodger history, that’s big deal.
He’s gonna pass Don Sutton he had already passed Sandy Koufax.
He passed Fernando, the list goes on, and Clayton Kershaw is going to sit above them all, as the all time strikeouts leader and dodger history I wish I could be there.
There was any regular season game that I could attend. I wish it was that one.
But unfortunately, I will not be there.
The Dodgers are currently in second place the National League West Division.
The giants who won the Division last year, set a half game above them. They’re playing good baseball.
We go back to the angels. We look ahead to see what they’ve got going on. They hit the road to Chicago to take on the White Sox.
We’re off to a slow start. One of the more talented teams across the sport of baseball.
Yes, today and for the first time since 2018 not including after the first game of the season.
The angels are in first place, and the Dodgers are not. I hate to admit that but you got to give credit where credit’s due. And the angels have started off well, but it’s 162 games season.
We’re only just a couple of weeks In and we’ll see what happens next week on episode three of the blue and red podcast.
I want to thank everyone for tuning in. I’ll be back next week.
Woo! go Dodgers.
