Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson blasts 15th home run

Reporting from Denver —  Joc Pederson’s 15th home run of the season was the rookie’s longest, a two-run blast on Tuesday that soared into the second deck behind the right-field wall at Coors Field.

MLB Advanced Media’s Statcast estimated the home run traveled 477 feet; ESPN Stats & Info estimated the distance at 467 feet.

Pederson was reluctant to talk about the home run, considering it came in the third inning of a 6-3 defeat to the Colorado Rockies.

The center fielder is tied for fourth in the majors in home runs. The left-handed-hitting Pederson has homered each of the last three days, each time against a left-handed pitcher.

“You guys are the ones that say I can’t hit left-handed pitching,” he said. “I hit them fine last year.”

Asked if he was asked if he was surprised by Pederson’s power numbers, Manager Don Mattingly said, “Fifteen and you’re not a third of the way through, it’s a lot. But I think we knew the talent was there, the swing was there and how the ball the came off the bat. Really from there, just count on his work ethic and the way he played and the way he went about his business that he was going to continue to learn and get better. So I still think the best is yet to come for Joc. That doesn’t mean he’s going to hit 60 homers or anything but, I think, just the consistency of at-bats, the best is yet to come.”
Mattingly said he was pleased with how Pederson has performed as the team’s leadoff hitter.

“Well, you want him to get on-base and I know he’s close to .400 on-base, so I think he’s doing OK,” Mattingly said.

Told Pederson’s walk rate and on-base percentage have decreased since he moved to the top of the order, Mattingly replied, “We like what Joc’s doing. We can cut up any part of it and take it anywhere. We could hit him sixth, we could hit him eighth, we could hit him ninth, he’s going to do the same stuff. It’s not really going to matter where we hit him.”