Cody Bellinger Bombs: Chronicling Home Run 62
Dodgers Nation will be writing about ‘Bellinger Bombs’. The Dodgers have one of the best young power hitters in the game under contract for the foreseeable future. Writers like Sam Miller have asked the question ‘What if Cody Bellinger is going to break the all-time home run record’. As the career home runs continue to pile up, we will examine each one in greater detail. We will allow you; the fan, to savor each one as they should be. Because what’s more fun than a home run? (You can look back at the collection here).
Oh, Belli. Belli, Belli, Belli my boy; what have you done to us all, and what have you done to me? With all the exciting things that are going on in this season, a Cody Bellinger home run is still the lifeblood that fulfills me. Still, it is the manna that provides me enough to go on. Slice me open, and I bleed Bellinger bombs at my very core.
It’s been a long journey to the number – and I wished to write about double the amount of these posts in 2018. On Saturday in St. Louis, Bellinger hit his 23rd home run of the season. And there’s going to be time for more of these posts – about 450 more of them by my calculations. Time is on our side when it comes to Cody Bellinger.
He capped one of his finest games of the year with a blast in the ninth. Let’s do it honors right here.
The Home Run
*Insert "Stop, stop!" gif here* pic.twitter.com/ZKsIBQ4iVT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 15, 2018
Bellinger’s 62nd career home run was just his second at Busch Stadium 2.0 in St. Louis. He’s now went deep 33 times in a road park and 44 times off right-handed pitching. The seventh ninth-inning blast of his career was his 46th while playing first base. This was the 17th time he’s hit one out to right-center. Bellinger now has six three-run homers to his credit, and nine while as the six-hole hitter.
He remains in 54th place on the all-time franchise list – attempting to chase down Wally Moon and Wes Parker at 64 before the season ends.
How Bellinger’s Home Run Impacted The Game
Would you believe that somehow before Bellinger hit this home run, the outcome was already decided? That’s because the Dodgers had already scored 14 runs. It was deemed by all factors considered to be one in the win column. Los Angeles was 100% probability before Bellinger put the finishing touches on the Cardinals for a three-run blast. That’s something you don’t see very often, but it was so. Of course, the Dodgers ended up winning this one 17-4.
The Victim
Luke Weaver has been a gift to opposing hitters all year long in 2018. He’s been so poor that; the Cardinals began with him in the rotation and are now trying to hide him within the bullpen. In 136.1 innings, Weaver has now allowed 19 home runs. He’s entering just his age-25 season in 2019, so a bright future could still await Weaver in some capacity. The latest Bellinger victim was a first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Exit Velocity, Distance, Pitch Data, and Angle
#Dodgers 17 @ #STLCards 4 [T9-2o]?Cody Bellinger homers (23): fly ball to RCF (3-run)
93.8mph Four-seam Fastball
RHP Luke Weaver (19)— Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) September 15, 2018
Bellinger caught a 93.8 mile per hour Weaver fastball, and Weaver hung his head immediately because he knew it was a souvenir. The ball had an exit velocity of 105 miles per hour and reached just 24 degrees at it’s highest point. This was a shot off the bat, nearly of the line-drive variety.
Overall Bellinger-Bomb Prominence Score
The home run was an after-thought, and although it came in a game where Bellinger had two clutch hits off lefties and six RBI; it won’t stand out as a particularly memorable one. Any time you can homer into St. Louis’ sea of red, it’s a good thing. We appreciate this home run for what it was – a big time shot on a great Saturday that served as the exclamation point.
Dodgers Nation Prominence HR Score: 6.0
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