Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages had an amazing Opening Day game, sparking the Dodgers’ offense and providing to be a key cog in the lineup.
Pages, who was in the middle of the lineup for most of last season, dropped towards the end of the year and in the postseason, ending up at the bottom.
Despite playing at a high level during Spring Training, he made the Opening Day lineup at No. 8, but he showed that his preseason form was no fluke.
Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pages went two-for-four with a home run and three RBIs.
The Dodgers were down 2-0 against Arizona, but in the fifth inning, after the Dodgers started to work on starter Zac Gallen, Pages delivered a homer to give the team a lead and support starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Pages was hitting .340/.370/.500 with nine RBIs in the Cactus League.
Andy Pages’ mentality
Pages went ice cold in the postseason, especially in the World Series, to the point where manager Dave Roberts preferred going with a hobbled Tommy Edman, who had a serious ankle injury, rather than playing Pages down the stretch.
However, he did not let his struggles get him down, and he appears to be coming into the season with a fresh mindset.
“What happened last year is in the past. It can happen to anyone,” Pages said. “It’s not going to hold me back mentally this year. I feel good right now.”
Roberts has taken notice of Pages’ confidence and has developed a respect for his resilience.
“(This) is certainly a big confidence boost,” Roberts said. “Coming into this spring, he was in great shape, and his mindset was in a good spot. I’m sure that fire, that fuel, to not relinquish his position later in the season is something that motivates him.”
The Dodgers don’t need Pages to be a great hitter, but his resurgence will certainly help a team that, on paper, is already the favorite to take home another World Series title.
He stayed with the Dodgers instead of going to the WBC for Team Puerto Rico, and the move seemingly paid off.
