MIAMI – Of all the areas Josue De Paula worked on to prepare himself for the Major Leagues, visualization became one of the most important. He learned to picture situations before they happened and prepare himself for what might come. But even De Paula couldn’t have imagined his first Major League hit unfolding quite like it did on Sunday. The Dodgers’ top prospect launched a three-run homer in the fourth inning in the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the Marlins. “I always visualized success, but I didn't know it was gonna be just like that,” De Paula said. “But yeah, it was crazy.” Beyond the home run, De Paula brought something else to the team in his first Major League series: a youthful energy that manager Dave Roberts believes can make an impact on a veteran clubhouse. “That’s a good reminder for all of us,” Roberts said. “I love the energy. I love the confidence. And just as important, seeing how the guys responded to him. You can see they were genuinely excited for him.” The Dodgers entered Sunday needing a win and a loss by either the D-backs or the Padres to clinch a postseason berth. But with the defeat, they'll have to wait until at least Monday to take that first step toward their much larger goals.
