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Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers teammate Max Muncy responded to analyst A.J. Pierzynski after the former Major Leaguer took credit for Muncy’s recent success against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola.
On "Foul Territory" on Tuesday, Muncy set the record straight, dismissing Pierzynski’s comments that Pierzynski provided him with crucial advice against Nola.
In particular, Pierzynski claimed that he had told Shohei Ohtani's teammate to forget about his past struggles against Nola and just hit a curveball. Pierzynski underscored his comments by saying:
“Max, you owe me something for those 3-for-3 when you come on tomorrow, brother.”
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Sure enough, Muncy appeared on "Foul Territory," responding to Pierzynski’s comments:
“I don't know if I owe him anything for that. I’ll give him a thank you.”
Muncy went 3-for-4 with a run against the Phillies on Saturday. His hitting performance included a double off Nola in the third inning.
As Pierzynski pointed out, Muncy entered the game 1-for-21 with 11 strikeouts against Aaron Nola. As a result, it was a significant turnaround for Muncy to have a successful outing against the Phillies ace.
The Dodgers won 3-1 but ultimately lost two of three against the Phillies in the weekend series.
Max Muncy ditches torpedo bat, sets up Shohei Ohtani for walk-off home run
Amid the torpedo bat craze, Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers teammate decided to go against the grain, ditching the torpedo bat for his regular lumber.
A Thursday piece in the New York Post chronicled Max Muncy’s decision. Muncy, who’s struggled at the plate to start the season, blamed the torpedo bat for throwing his swing off-kilter.
So, when it was Muncy’s turn to hit in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ Wednesday game against the Braves, Muncy ditched his torpedo bat in favor of his old one.
The move worked as Muncy smacked a two-run double to tie the game. That hit eventually set up Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off blast in the ninth inning.
The Post quoted Muncy regarding his bat-related decision, as follows:
“I felt like the bat was causing me to be a little bit off-plane. A little bit in and out of the zone because my swings felt really good tonight, but maybe just a bit off. So, I just decided to go back to my regular bat.”
The move worked at a crucial time when the Dodgers needed a hit the most. The hit was a welcome one, given Muncy’s rough start to the season. Thus far, he’s 7-for-38 with no homers and two RBIs.
Muncy’s .184 batting average and 15 strikeouts seem concerning. But considering it’s still April, there’s plenty of time for Muncy to turn things around, torpedo bat or not. The Dodgers hope he can find his stroke as they fight off serious contenders like the Padres and Diamondbacks in the NL West.
