Dave Roberts: Texas Rangers ‘Good Test’ For Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the All-Star break with some momentum and have largely continued that with back-to-back series wins against the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.

Taking two of three from the struggling Mets wasn’t much of a surprise, but awaiting the Dodgers after that was an Orioles team that went into their series on a season-best eight-game winning streak. The Dodgers snapped that with back-to-back victories.

After an off day, they returned to Globe Life Field for the first time since the 2020 World Series. Awaiting them was a Texas Rangers team in first place of the American League West and riding a six-game winning streak.

Prior to the Dodgers coming away with a win in the series opener, manager Dave Roberts expressed his belief the weekend matchup would be a measuring stick, via SportsNet LA:

“It’s a very daunting lineup. It’s long, hits right, hits left. Obviously, we’re familiar with Corey, but they’ve got some younger players that are having big years. García is one of the underrated hitters in baseball. It’s going to be a good test for us. I think we can do a nice job of matching up, but these guys, one through nine, are as good as anybody in baseball.”

Roberts also was willing to pencil in Dodgers and Rangers as a World Series preview if there was a way to do so:

“I would bank that right now. We feel good about our ballclub, but I do think that playing teams that are playing well are always a good test to see where you’re at. It’s been a good road trip so far. We know Andrew Heaney pretty well, so we’ve got our work cut out with Andrew. It’s going to be a good test.”

Andrew Heaney wound up struggling a bit against his former teammates, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings of work. The bulk of the damage was done by Freddie Freeman, who had a two-run double and solo home run off Heaney.

Similarly, Corey Seager hit a home run, but he exited early due to a sprained right thumb. Seager’s status for the remainder of the weekend is in jeopardy. The series marks Seager’s first time playing against the Dodgers since signing with the Rangers in free agency.

Rangers unveil 2024 MLB All-Star Game logo

Earlier this week, the Rangers unveiled the 2024 MLB All-Star Game logo during a press conference at Globe Life Field.

The official logo for the 2024 All-Star Game is a celebration of Texas, and the diverse community of Arlington and surrounding cities. The logo was designed to captivate representation of Texas pride and exude a sense of energy and celebration, symbolizing the spirit of the All-Star Game and the host city.