Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Delighted Things Finally Came Together for Austin Barnes
This year has been one of the toughest in Austin Barnes’s career. He has really struggled at the plate and has been almost a guaranteed out every time he hits.
But his veteran leadership and ability to control a pitching game have kept him on the roster as the year has gone on.
It has been a struggle for him, but with one swing of the bat, maybe things started to come together.
Hitting in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, Barnes broke a 0-0 tie to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
It was his first home run of the season, and one of the biggest hits for LA all season long.
LA finished off the Brewers, and Barnes was the hero. Manager Dave Roberts spoke about the veteran catcher after the game.
“It’s been a tough year for him,” Roberts said. “They’re always difficult in different ways, but for him personally this has been his toughest season. But he’s not a quitter. He works as hard as he’s ever worked. He prepares as much as he’s ever prepared. And for the game to honor him tonight was really good.”
Per SNLA
Now we won’t react too much to one home run, but sometimes that is all it takes. Seeing the ball go over the fence could bring back some confidence in Barnes, and allow him to get going a bit.
For the year, Barnes is only hitting .136 with one home run and seven runs batted in. It’s easily been the worst year of his career, but he has remained professional throughout, just waiting for his moment.
Barnes played the hero role, helping the team sweep Milwaukee. It felt like something out of a movie, simply because it was so unexpected.
“It’s obviously been a while,” a smiling Barnes said. “It’s been a struggle this year … But it was nice to put that run across, and give our team a shot to win.”
Per The LA Times
The win pushed LA to an 11-game winning streak (which they then lost on Friday), and Barnes can now say that he helped add to that total. It has been a long season for him, so this was finally a night of redemption.
“It’s been a grind this year,” Barnes said. “A lot of … tough nights.”
Per The LA Times
Barnes will be back in the lineup on Saturday for one of the two games of the doubleheader.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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