It took exactly three days for Dodgers fans to boo Cavan Biggio
Three strikeouts on called pitches suggests he’s still not swinging the bat at borderline strikes.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans are discovering quickly why Cavan Biggio frustrated Toronto fans so often. In Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Royals at Dodger Stadium, Biggio was booed after he struck out three times in four hitless at bats, leaving runners in scoring position (RISP) on base all three times.
But it was how he struck out — watching a called third strike in each at bat — that will remind Blue Jays fans why he was DFA’d. Sound familiar?
In the 2nd inning against Royals starter Seth Lego, he took a called strike one, fouled off two pitches, and worked a full 3-2 count. Lugo reared back and threw a 94 mph fastball that was a borderline strike on the middle outside of the plate. Biggio’s bat just stayed on his shoulder, and with runners on first and second with only one out, it was a called strike three!
In the bottom of the 4th, Biggio came up with the bases jacked and only one out. Lugo quickly worked an 0-2 count, Biggio fouled off the third pitch of the at-bat, and then Lugo wiped him out with an 80 mph curve that was again borderline low and away from the left-handed hitter. Again, the bat stayed on Biggio’s shoulder, suggesting whatever it is the Dodgers hope to unleash in his approach remains padlocked.
It was another curve from Lugo, this one 82 mph and belt high on the outside of the plate, that caught Biggio looking again in the bottom of the 6th, with a runner on third and two outs for another third called strike.
To recap, that was three strikeouts, all on called strikes, with Biggio 0-for-4 with RISP in a loss. All three out pitches were on the outside of the plate, either low and away or belt high, which suggests there’s a clear book on how to get the 29-year-old veteran — now in his sixth season — out.
Unfortunately, Biggio continues to watch borderline pitches, and the results remain the same. After 10 at-bats with Los Angeles, he’s hitting .200 with three strikeouts. We’ve heard comments from his new manager Dave Roberts that "Our hitting guys dug in a little bit and felt that there's some things we can unlock (in) him offensively."
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes echoed those comments in an interview with ‘Blair & Barker’ on Sportsnet 590 the FAN, saying, "If Cavan just continues to what he's done (throughout) his career offensively, it's a good fit for us."
But the early returns say that not even the Dodgers can reinvent Cavan’s approach. He just takes too many close pitches, and leaves too many runners in scoring position.