Javy Guerra is the Dodgers’ closer, but if he keeps struggling the way he has, he’ll soon become their former closer. The reliever started the season with five saves and a win, but he’s gone 0-3 and allowed seven runs over his last six appearances.
What’s been his problem? According to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, Guerra’s lost his swag.
“My biggest concern with Javy [Saturday] night was no swag,” Mattingly said on Sunday. “Honestly, that was my biggest concern. It’s never his stuff. It was like the lack of the bounce in the step and the confidence and commitment. Just like, ‘I’m getting you out and I know it.’ That’s what scared me [Saturday] night.”
Mattingly may blame Guerra’s lost “swag,” which apparently is the new word for confidence (though it has to be played out now that Mattingly is using it), but I disagree. It seems to me that Guerra was doing just fine until taking a line drive off the face against the Braves last week. He remained in the game after surrendering the hit to Brian McCann and was slapped around even more, giving up three runs and five hits while getting just one out. That liner may have knocked all the confidence out of him. But really, I just wanted to post this story because I thought it was strange that Don Mattingly said Javy Guerra had lost his swag. Don Mattingly is hip and he’s got the soul patch to prove it!
