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Why nobody needs Dodgers to keep winning more than Justin Turner – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

October 15, 2020

Although it doesn’t feel like it after a massive Game 3 win, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ high hopes are once again teetering on the brink.

This club needs to take three of four from a formidable Atlanta Braves team to stay alive, and on Thursday they’re counting on Clayton Kershaw — a guy who wasn’t able to pitch Tuesday due to back spasms. This is a tough spot, and for all their talent FanGraphs gives them only a 40.5 per cent chance of winning the series.

Writing off the Dodgers would be ludicrous, but it’s worth considering the implications of another playoff heartbreak. Thanks to the team’s decision to extend Mookie Betts there’s an argument to be made that 2020 doesn’t carry outsized importance for this group, but coming back to win the NLCS feels particularly crucial for one of the stalwarts of this team. Specifically, Justin Turner.

When we talk about the Dodgers getting over the hump, that conversation centres around Kershaw and his inconsistent October performances. This time it’s different. Not only has Kershaw been outstanding in these playoffs (14 innings of 1.93 ERA ball with a 2-0 record), even if he lays an egg on Thursday he has a baked-in injury excuse. He’s also under contract for next year, and after he rejuvenated his stuff in 2020 it’s easier to have confidence he’ll have more cracks at this — probably with the Dodgers.

Turner is a bit of a different case. He’s not an inner-circle Hall of Famer like Kershaw, but he’s a star in his own right. Since he came to the Dodgers in 2014 his WAR of 26.6 ranks 19th among all position players, sandwiched between George Springer and Xander Bogaerts. His wRC+ of 141 ranks 14th, right behind Bryce Harper. Although he’s often been overshadowed by superstar teammates, he’s been a through line of the Dodgers’ success in the Andrew Friedman era. Unlike many of those more famous running mates, he’s also tended to come through in the playoffs, hitting .281/.373/.474 against a virtually-identical regular-season line of .292/.369/.469.

Watch Game 5 of the ALCS between the Rays and Astros on Sportsnet & SN Now at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT. Game 4 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Braves follows at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, Sportsnet One & SN Now.

If Turner’s legacy as a Dodger, and playoff performer, are secure, how this team performs in 2020 wouldn’t seem to weigh on him too heavily. However, the stakes are extremely high for the third baseman for two reasons.

The first is that this is probably his last run with the Dodgers. Turner turns 36 at the end of this year and hits free agency following the season. The Dodgers have a number of alternatives at third base including Max Muncy, promising up-and-comer Edwin Ríos — who’s slugged .634 in his first 139 MLB plate appearances — and blue-chip prospect Kody Hoese, who could be a starter as soon as 2022. There are also scenarios where Gavin Lux or Corey Seager slide over. Despite their financial resources, Los Angeles likes to stay flexible both financially and positionally. Retaining Turner — for all of his positive qualities — would hamper them on both fronts.

Wherever Turner might go next year he will have a worse chance of winning the World Series than he would with the Dodgers. Even if he signed with another team, and found his way to the mountaintop, it might not be quite the same as doing it where he spent his prime. Whether you want to be 100 per cent practical or 100 per cent sentimental, there’s something to be said for Turner winning with the Dodgers, and there’s a good chance this is the last opportunity for that to happen.

The second reason that Turner needs this to keep going is to bolster his free agent case, which is already a murky one. On one hand, the veteran is coming off a season where he posted a 140 wRC+, marking the seventh consecutive season he’s been a significantly above-average offensive contributor. He also had a 14.9 per cent strikeout rate, which is appealing to teams in this high-whiff era — and helps indicate his bat speed isn’t gone.

On the flip side, Turner hit only four home runs this year, missed time due to a soft-tissue injury, and saw his Isolated Slugging take a massive dive.

It’s also unclear what you’re getting from Turner with the glove at this point considering his age and the scattershot nature of his defensive metrics in recent years.

Then there’s the matter of his post-season performance in 2020, which has been brutal thus far. Turner is hitting just .167/.278/.167 during this playoff run. When you put it all together, you can paint two very different free agency narratives for Turner: one if the Dodgers come back and win it all, another if they fall short again. Here’s how that looks:

If the Dodgers come back and win it all: Turner gets more games to salvage his post-season and is lauded as the guy, along with Kershaw, who got through all the Dodgers’ struggles and finally broke through. If he gets a crucial hit or two in the World Series, he can easily slide from “longtime star” to “franchise icon”. Should Los Angeles get into the sentimental re-signing of World Series winners, he even has a chance of returning.

If he goes elsewhere, his “veteran presence” credibility is increased significantly by his ring — which might add a little premium to his next contact. Even if he doesn’t perform in the playoffs, he’ll be remembered as a strong October performer thanks to his overall numbers, and the fact he’s a World Series champ. Turner will be seen as a player who can help put another team over the top, perhaps one with a younger core that hasn’t been there yet.

If the Dodgers fall to the Braves: Turner’s post-season goes down as a failure, and one that reinforced his biggest worry during the season (his inability to hit for extra-base power). Anxieties about his potential decline as a hitter — valid or not — increase because of recency bias. His chances of returning to the Dodgers likely decrease, and his legacy with that franchise is as a core member of the teams that simply couldn’t win it all. His credibility as a veteran is beyond repute, but his agent doesn’t get to sell prospective suitors on a champion.

There’s a pretty significant difference there in terms of both status — particularly in the context of the Dodgers franchise — and free agent dollars. Kershaw may be the face of this team’s quest to end a 32-year title drought, but nobody needs it more than Turner.

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Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published

4 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Penguins re-sign Crosby to two-year extension that runs through 2026-27 season

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4 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.

The Penguins announced on Monday that they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of US$8.7 million. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season.

Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.

At the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas last Monday, he said things were positive and he was optimistic about a deal getting done.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race.

Crosby has spent all 19 of his NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, amassing 592 goals and 1,004 assists in 1,272 career games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

Published

15 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.

Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.

“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.

“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”

Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.

The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.

“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”

It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.

“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”

Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.

He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.

Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.

“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”

Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.

“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.

Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.

Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.

“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”

Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.

Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.

Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.

Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.

Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.

“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.

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