The Los Angeles Dodgers are feeling unstoppable. With JD Martinez back in the fold, the team just got scarier amid a lengthy win streak, and it's got manager Dave Roberts hyped.
“He’s a professional hitter… having him in there just changes the dynamic of our lineup,” Roberts told reporters following the Dodgers' 6-2 victory in Tuesday's series opener against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Making his first appearance after over a week of absence due to a hamstring/groim injury, Martinez made his presence felt right away. His double in the sixth inning led to a run that gave the Dodgers their first taste of the lead in the contest. Los Angeles would not look back since, as Martinez and company got it going the rest of the inning. The Dodgers had five runs in the sixth frame, while the Brewers scored none.
While Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are the top faces of the Dodgers' offense, Martinez is another player providing quality at-bats for the team. He is third on the team so far this season with an .868 OPS to go with a .259 batting average and a .557 slugging percentage. He has 25 home runs and 77 RBIs.
The Dodgers, who are now riding a nine-game win streak after taking down Milwaukee, will look to extend their undefeated run to 10 games when they send future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw to the mound for Game 2 of the Brewers series Wednesday night.
Martinez and the Dodgers are 72-46 with a nine-game lead over the rest of their rivals in the National League West division.