Dodgers Nation: Blue Heaven Podcast

The Dodgers struggle on the road again. This time the bats were mostly quiet and the pitching pitched the worst it's pitched in a while. We dive in to what's going wrong with the boys, exploring Clayton Kershaw's rough stretch and considering Mookie Betts moving out of the leadoff spot. Plus, should the team look at adding an arm or two at the deadline? Next, the biggest topic dominating baseball headlines, foreign substances. The Dodgers have become a focal point in MLB's crackdown on sticky stuff and pitcher Trevor Bauer the main guy talking. We hear from Bauer as he talks foreign substances and slams MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for messing up another scandal. Finally, the Dodgers are super streaky so far this season. What's up with that? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we pass the two month mark into the 2021 season, things are trending well for the Dodgers after a rocky stretch. Bodies are getting healthy and returning to the lineup, most important of which is 2019 MVP Cody Bellinger who is already proving to be a difference maker. With the Dodgers getting healthy, does this team still have a chance to be the best in baseball? SportsNet LA Analyst Jerry Hairston thinks so. The boys dive in to that narrative and issue grades for the first third-ish of the season. Plus, some unexpected Albert Pujols love and how he fills a role it turns out the Dodgers really may have needed. Visit VintageBrand.com and sign up for their newsletter to save 40% on your first order! Finally, we preview the NLCS rematch with the Atlanta Braves, a team that looks a whole lot different from the last time these two met in October. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers and their fan base stormed Houston and the Polly Pocket field known as Minute Maid Park and exercised some demons from the 2017 World Series. And, most importantly, Clayton Kershaw exercised some MMP demons of his own against the cheaters in Houston. We discuss the series split and the letdown game 2 loss from Trevor Bauer. Next, we look ahead to the series against the Giants -- the second series in as many weeks -- and make our predictions for the NL West showdown at Dodger Stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers swept the hated Giants and made it look pretty convincing along the way. We dive into some takeaways from the series including Max Muncy's love for Oracle Park and Gavin Lux's big come-up. Plus, Trevor Bauer introduced himself to the rivalry and set the stage for a weekend that proved the Dodgers have the best rotation in baseball -- even down one starter. Next, the team is striding and is getting healthy at the same time. We catch up on where Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry are in their recovery and how they could rejoin the Dodgers in LA this weekend. And how far out is Tony Gonsolin in his return? The Dodgers head to Houston to face the cheating Astros for two games at Minute Maid Park... with full capacity seating. With Clayton Kershaw facing Zach Greinke in game one, it should be a good time. Finally, we look back at the first 199 episodes of the podcast and reminisce about some of our favorite moments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, things got real good real quick for the Dodgers at home, and we'll get into that in a second, but first we dive into all the no-nos in baseball. No hitter number 6 happened on Wednesday night, a day after no hitter number 5. Are all the no hitters good for baseball? We turn to 3-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw for his thoughts. Back to the Dodgers, the ship was very much righted for the boys in blue as soon as they got back home to Dodger Stadium. Officially, they finished a 9 game homestand going 8-1. So the question has to be asked, are the Dodgers are bad road team or did they just play too many games on the road when they were playing their worst baseball? Next, LA finally heads up to SF to play the Giants for the first time this season. We look ahead to the series that features some fun matchups and wonder if we should really truly worry about the Jints. Finally, in this week's TBT segment, we welcome back Gail Johnson who has a game to play with us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albert Pujols is a Los Angeles Dodger. Wild times are upon us at Chavez Ravine. Along with Pujols, Andrew Friedman brought in Utility man Yoshi Tsutsugo from Tampa Bay (of course) as the Dodgers look to rebuild a weak bench core that -- beyond Matt Beaty -- has largely been ineffective through the first 40ish games of the season. The guys react to the moves and dive into the good and the bad that come with Albert and Yoshi-san. While both players offer a lot of upside, with one you get an aged veteran with defensive shortcomings and the other a player that has struggled to hit major league pitching. Next, the Dodgers will be without the services of shortstop Corey Seager for a stretch after suffering a broken right hand. Seags joins 11 others currently on the IL for LA which begs the question... what did we do wrong? Did the team sell its soul for that 2020 title? Finally, we look ahead at the first matchup of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks who, let's face it, are a struggle bus of a team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two wins in a row, the Dodgers finally have a winning streak on their hands once again! The guys look at some of the little things that have gone right for LA during this recent streak of not garbage play, including a Gavin Lux home run that was a game changer in more ways than one. First, right off the bat, can we just say that winning feels a lot better than losing. The Dodgers are playing cleaner baseball and the energy is there once again. Plus it seems like finally the team didn't shut down after having one really terrible strike call go against them. Next in our weekly Throwback Thursday segment, presented by vintagebrand.com, Clint, Brook, and the live chat discuss which recent Dodger losing streak felt worse. This 5-15 skid here in 2021, an ugly 3-17 late in 2017, or the 16-26 record the team opened 2018 with. Visit VintageBrand.com and sign up for their newsletter to save 40% on your first order! And finally, we look ahead to the upcoming series against the Marlins which should give the Dodgers a real opportunity to fatten up record wise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers keep on losing and Trevor Bauer got panned by detractors for saying something really close to what Clayton Kershaw echoed a day prior. Everything is going GREAT in Dodger Nation! The boys discuss the trouble in paradise and Clint offers the only obvious fix for LA's woes. Visit VintageBrand.com and sign up for their newsletter to save 40% on your first order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for a hard reset for the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers. We discuss the recent tough stretch for the world champs and what could be an underlying cause for the poor results. We're also joined by Dodgers Nation contributor and resident "positive correspondent" for the Blue Heaven podcast, Gail Johnson, to talk about the team and help us try to get a little more of a positive outlook on the boys in blue. Introducing a new weekly segment, presented by Vintage Brand, this week we ask the audience which former Dodger player from any era they would bring back if they could in the hopes that player could help get the team back on track. Clint, Brook, and Gail all weigh in. Next, the guys talk about Corey Seager's down year and wonder aloud if he really truly is a shortstop for the long term. To no one's surprise, the numbers don't back it up. And finally, in MLB news, the Anaheim Angels released future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols from the final year of his 10-year mega deal with the team. Was it the right move? Yes and no? Should the Dodgers look at signing him, as several fans have called for online? What do you think! Visit vintagebrand.com and sign up for their newsletter to save 40% on your first order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another bad break for the defending champ Dodgers who lose young fireballer Dustin May to Tommy John surgery. With the boys in blue down to four healthy starters in the rotation, the Blue Heaven boys look ahead to who can fill in until Tony Gonsolin is ready. Joined by friend of the show and prospects expert Tim Rogers, we look at options like Edwin Uceta, Gerardo Carrillo, or the popular Josiah Gray taking advantage of the opportunity. Plus, the minor league season is finally here and Tim looks ahead to where some of LA's top prospects are ending up on the farm. Next, we look back and review the Dodgers after one month of play, including looking back at some of the biggest question marks fans had just before the start of the season. And finally, we discuss the only way a man should dress at the ballpark. Period. Thanks again to Tim for joining us! Find him online at sddodger.com and dodgers2080.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the boys in blue struggle, the Blue Heaven boys dig into a whole lot going wrong for the Dodgers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers and the Padres are back at it again one week later and both have their fair share of concerns. Injuries are piling up for both clubs, but the schedule stops for no one! Today, we examine the budding rivalry with ESPN broadcaster Jason Benetti, who will call play-by-play on a special Statcast broadcast on Sunday. Diving into the teams, we look at some recent and season numbers for both ballclubs, with a focus on the pitching staff. Plus, Brook goes off on San Diego triple-a pitcher Chris Paddack -- much to everyone's enjoyment -- once again. Next, we talk about LA's struggles against left-handed pitching and wonder if the front office should have tried a bit harder for that right-handed batter they were looking for in the offseason. Finally, before taking some time to have some personal fun with the live stream audience, we laugh at one baseball fan's petition to disband the Dodgers for being too good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers -- and more importantly Dodger fans -- survived a draining weekend in San Diego against the show Pads. While LA took 2 of 3, there were a lot of struggles for the boys in blue. But really, we're here to complain about awful umpiring with friend of the show Doug McKain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming at you live on Jackie Robinson Day, the guys reflect on what the day represents and what it means knowing what Jack did for the Dodgers and for baseball. Next, we dive into the new look "angry Kenley Jansen" and the boo birds flying early in the season for the closer at Dodger Stadium. Plus, the latest injury updates involving Gavin Lux, Cody Bellinger, and Brusdar Graterol. For the second act, we welcome long-time friend of the show, and co-host of The Big Swing podcast, Cooper Surles to the show to talk about the new Ross Stripling hosted podcast "GOATs On the Bump" podcast. Finally, we dig into the highly anticipated series against the little brother Padres in San Diego. First, are the Pads rushing superstar Fernando Tatis Jr back to the active roster? Past Padres actions say they may in fact be for an ultimately meaningless series in April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dodgers are down two MVPs but just somehow keep on winning. The guys discuss what's gone right while Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts are out of the lineup. Plus, when will they be back and other injury updates. Next, we began to praise Gavin Lux and he fell off a cliff. Is the Brookme3 magic real? We try to right the wrong. Clint isn't buying one good outing from Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw is doing something he hasn't done in 8 years. Finally, we look past the Colorado series and look ahead to the first round against the San Diego Padres. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices