Victorino, We Hear You

“Get up! Get up! Yeah!!”  That’s would could be heard from Don Mattingly's lips from the Dodger bench after Shane Victorino launched a 4th inning drive that ended up in the right firld seats at PNC Park.  It was a two run homer in today’s win over the Pirates.  The blast was Victorino’s first homer since putting on the Dodger uniform and it was a big one, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-2 at the time.

Victorino is turning out to be the catalyst of this team that has been sorely needed out of the lead off spot all year.  As much as many of us are high on Dee Gordon, it’s time to face facts.  Dee wasn’t cutting it with his on-base percentage in that role.  Since Victorino has come to the Dodgers, after a slow start, he’s now got a .333 on base percentage with a .277 AVG. and a homer and five RBI.  The numbers are picking up and there is a swell we are hearing which is Victorino’s momentum leading this team.

Can you hear it?

"I hear you," Kemp and Victorino celebrate Shane's two run homer (Image capture from Fox Sports Prime Ticket)

With Hanley’s “I see you” gesture.  It looks like “I hear you” is what is resulting from the Victorino surge.  We'll see if a new trend develops.

The Dodgers are 3-1 on this road trip and as of this writing, the Giants are losing 14-0 to the Nationals in the 5th inning up in San Francisco.   Brad Penny is mopping up a Ryan Vogelsong mess and it isn't pretty.   It'll be a first place tie when the night is through.

The road trip we feared thus far isn't turning out to be so bad.