OOTP 21: April 17, 2020 – Dodgers 7, Pirates 4 – Literally Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts (Photo: Cody Bashore)

We may not have real baseball, but damn if virtual Mookie Betts isn’t the man. He went 3-for-5 with two more home runs and 4 RBIs in the Dodgers’ 7-4 win against the Pirates on Friday.

Betts homered in the first and third innings off Pirates’ starter Chris Stratton. Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson both recorded three hits each, a good sign as both have struggled a little bit in this early going. Enrique Hernandez and Corey Seager both chipped in with a couple hits of their own.

With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Dave Roberts opted for Chris Taylor in a pinch-hit situation against Pirates’ reliever Tyler Webb. Taylor socked a 1-2 changeup to center for a run-scoring double, putting Los Angeles up 5-4.

Win or lose, we pick each other up in this clubhouse,” Taylor told the Los Angeles Chronicle, a paper that might end up doing better than a lot of other Southern California papers in this time.

Julio Urias turned in another solid outing — 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 96 pitches, 63 strikes — to lower his season ERA to 3.12. However, Blake Treinen had a rough outing, retiring just one Pirate hitter while allowing three hits and a run — all on just 12 pitches. He allowed a surprising home run to Jarrod Dyson — the 22nd of his 11-year MLB career — which tied the game at 4. However, Pedro Baez bailed Treinen out and eventually picked up the win. Kenley Jansen, after a rough outing last time out, pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the campaign.

Walker Buehler takes the bump tomorrow for LA. He’ll be opposed by former very good pitcher Chris Archer.

About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 at his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue. He co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a 1-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, Calif.