LOS ANGELES — When Will Smith signed a 10-year, $140 million contract extension with the Dodgers before the season began, he knew he had the opportunity to become one of the top catchers in an organization that has had more than its fair share of stars at the position.
While there’s still a long way to go before Smith is among those names, he’s off to a good start. With his three-homer game Friday, he became the fourth catcher in Dodgers history to accomplish the feat, joining Roy Campanella, Mike Piazza and Yasmani Grandal.
Smith wasn’t done doing the damage, though, as he hit a two-run home run in the first inning Saturday off right-hander Freddy Peralta in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win over the Brewers at Dodger Stadium. With the hit, Smith hit a home run in four straight at-bats, tying the American League/National League record. He’s the first Dodgers player to do it since Adrián González on April 7-8, 2015. He’s just the third player to do it as a catcher in American League/National League history, joining Johnny Bench (1973) and Benito Santiago (1996).
“I’ve always tried to stick to my approach, whatever it is at the time,” Smith said. “I stick to it and hope good things happen. They don’t always happen, but yeah, I was able to get us two runs.”
In his second at-bat of the game, looking to make even more history, Smith got under a four-seam fly ball in the zone, sending center fielder Blake Perkins to the warning track.
“He’s so consistent and he just doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as one of the two best catchers in the game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Before this weekend’s series against the Brewers, Smith hadn’t had the same offensive impact the Dodgers have become accustomed to since he became their everyday catcher in 2020. Unusually, he had hit just two home runs since the start of June.
Still, Roberts praised Smith for not running away from challenges and working hard to overcome them. His ability to push through tough times is a big reason the Dodgers decided to invest in him long-term. It also helps that he can turn a game around with four home runs in 24 hours.
“I know he’s thrown a lot of hits and he’s had a lot of big games and big runs, but he’s able to use the whole field, walk when he needs to, they throw him good pitches and he always controls the zone,” Roberts said. “… Even his putouts are really good at-bats.”
While Smith got the team going offensively, it was Miguel Vargas who delivered the biggest blow of the night. With the score 3-3 in the eighth inning, the Brewers turned to left-hander Bryan Hudson, who is having an All-Star first half of the season after the Dodgers designated him for assignment this offseason to clear roster space for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, leading Milwaukee to acquire him.
With the Brewers switching to a left-hander, Roberts relied on Vargas as a backup. Vargas responded by hitting a solo home run just over Christian Yelich’s outstretched arm in left field to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Shohei Ohtani then added another run by hitting his NL-leading 28th home run of the season.
“It’s a great feeling,” Vargas said. “I’ve been patient. I’ve been working on myself, trying to get this type of opportunity. I’m grateful to have it and to have been successful.”
After being called up from Triple-A on June 17, Vargas didn’t get much playing time with the Dodgers. The move was controversial given the batting struggles of Chris Taylor, Kiké Hernández and Cavan Biggio, all of whom have gotten regular reps over the past two weeks.
But with Max Muncy needing several months to recover from an oblique injury and Jason Heyward now out for a few weeks with a left knee contusion, Vargas should get more opportunities in left field and, perhaps, third base. Vargas, who started Friday, will start again Sunday. So far, the Cuban all-rounder has taken full advantage of the opportunities he’s been given.
“It’s 100 percent difficult,” Vargas said when asked if it’s hard not to be frustrated by the lack of playing time. “But at the end of the day, it’s a team sport. That’s why we play it. The only thing I can control is taking care of myself and being ready when the moments come.”
