Joey Gallo has endured a nightmare season to date.
Though he hit 12 home runs with the New York Yankees before being traded, his average was well below .200 and he simply was not getting on base.
After acquiring Andrew Benintendi, the Yankees shipped Gallo off to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who since acquiring him, have not lost a game.
On Wednesday night, the Dodgers played host to the Minnesota Twins.
Gallo came to the plate with two outs and two runners on and the Dodgers ahead 5-4.
On a 2-1 pitch from Twins reliever Griffin Jax, Gallo connected and sent one out of Dodger Stadium for his first big moment as a member of the Dodgers.
Joey Gallo goes deep: Volume 1
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) August 11, 2022
Gallo Joins The Fun
2022 has been a tremendous struggle for Gallo.
But with the Dodgers, he gets a fresh start, and he took advantage of that fresh start last night, hitting his first home run since being traded.
For Gallo, it had to have been somewhat of a weight lifted off of his shoulders.
With the Yankees, his struggles were magnified.
With the constant media presence and extra scrutiny, it’s hard for a player to get out of his own head when he’s struggling so badly.
But he finally got a chance to get away from New York and get a fresh start in Los Angeles.
It’s nice to see Gallo find his stroke again after such a tough stretch in New York.
Sometimes, all a player needs is a little change of scenery.
So far, that appears to have helped Gallo out tremendously.
His home run proved to be the difference as the Dodgers won their 10th straight game and secured the series win over the Twins.