Offense Can Follow Basepaths to Glory

Dave Roberts did it on opening day, and Brian Jordan did it in the second game of the season. But the Dodgers went the next three games without moving a runner from first base to third on a single.

That may seem insignificant, but if the Dodgers are to maximize the potential of an offense that last year ranked 14th in the National League in on-base percentage, last in walks and seventh in runs, they’ll need to run the bases aggressively and intelligently, much as the Angels did en route to their World Series title in 2002.

“No doubt, that was a formula that worked for them, and people try to emulate champions,” Roberts said. “It’s a matter of this team trying to push the envelope instead of waiting for things to happen. You can always be more aggressive. In the right situations, it helps you.”

The key to aggressive base running, Roberts said, is taking good secondary leads -- the jumps runners get after their initial leads and as the pitcher delivers the ball to the plate -- and knowing the positioning and arm strength of the outfielders.

“If a pitcher is throwing, and you’re walking off first base and the ball is hit to right field, you’re not going to make it to third,” Roberts said. “Knowing where the outfielders are, knowing who doesn’t have a strong arm or is inaccurate, is part of it, too. You don’t have to be fast to run the bases well.”

There’s a fine line, though, between being aggressive and reckless.

“You don’t want to get hung out [between first and second] after a pitch crosses the plate, because you’ve got [catchers] like Ivan Rodriguez in Florida who will throw you out,” Dodger third base coach Glenn Hoffman said. “But when the opportunity [to take an extra base] arises, we’ve got to take advantage of it.”

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Darren Dreifort appreciates the concern, but the Dodger right-hander would love to put to rest questions about his comeback from two major elbow surgeries and a knee surgery, which culminated with Friday night’s six-inning, three-run, five-hit effort in a 4-2 loss to the Padres.

“I think we can move on as soon as you guys leave it alone,” Dreifort told reporters Saturday. “I’m just trying to settle into a routine.”

But as long as part of that routine includes his manager inquiring about his health after every appearance, Dreifort, who missed a year and a half, will probably still be in a rehabilitation phase.

“He hasn’t reached a point where I don’t wonder the next day if he’s OK,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “With what he went through, that’s still the first thing you ask.... And he’s fine today.”