Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After yesterday continued the struggles of a battered Dodgers team, there was at least some hope and energy today for the debut of Jack Flaherty. While the Dodgers staked him to a small early lead, a lot of the improvement in mood was due to Flaherty himself, who was excellent in the 10-0 victory over the Athletics.
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Speaking of Flaherty, he looked sharp in a Dodgers uniform and on the mound, mostly staying out of serious trouble and generating welcome whiffs.
Things didn’t start out ideally in the 1st after a couple of soft singles started the game, but he rebounded with a pair of strikeouts and a pop-out to smother the threat. After just a single over the next two frames, there was some minor concern after a single was hit off Flaherty’s calf in the 4th with two down. However, he thankfully seemed to shrug that off, and retired the next four batters.
95 from Jack Flaherty. pic.twitter.com/9xrwYmzWp6
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
Jack Flaherty's knuckle curve for a K. Use is up so far. pic.twitter.com/ImZpMo15CD
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
The 6th was the pivotal inning, though not all due to his own making. He seemed to start with a groundout to first, but Cavan Biggio threw behind him covering the bag for an error. That was followed by a bloop single to left, and after a walk the bases were packed with nobody out. Thankfully, Flaherty wasn’t flustered, getting a grounder for a force out at home, getting a key strikeout of a lefty, and then getting another groundout to escape damage.
Credit to both him and Dave Roberts for letting him go with Alex Vesia and Michael Kopech warming, as he was allowed to battle for a full six: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 99 Pitches.
Jack Flaherty's seven strikeouts over six shutout innings in his Dodger debut. Knuckle curve use was up. pic.twitter.com/n4tpNhQMoV
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
Of course, things were tight up to that point because the Dodgers offense isn’t healthy and has been showing every bit of that of late.
They started the game ominously, stranding a Shohei Ohtani single and stolen base in the 1st with three outs in a row. Then despite a lead-off walk from Biggio in the 3rd, things looked bleak in that frame after a pair of strikeouts followed, but Teoscar Hernandez got lucky on a check-swing double down the line in right to put a pair in scoring position, and Gavin Lux came up clutch by lining a single the other way for a pair of runs to start the scoring. 2-0.
Gavvy drives in the game's first two runs with a two-out single. pic.twitter.com/z8Z9fDRsPs
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
They couldn’t capitalize on a pair of singles in the 5th or a single and walk in the 6th either, but came alive for insurance in the 8th. A one-out Jason Heyward walk was followed by a stung double down the line in left for Enrique Hernandez to score him. He advanced to third on the throw, which brought the infield in, where Andy Pages singled sharply past to make it 4-0.
Pages follows with a single for more insurance. pic.twitter.com/2NAMlzAeGE
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
So with Flaherty’s six shutout in the books, the much-maligned pen stepped up and did their job for once. Another new acquisition was first, as Kopech continued where he left off, setting the A’s down in order in the 7th. Blake Treinen then put his struggles behind him a bit, getting the side on 10 pitches in the 8th.
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Before the game could be closed, the Dodgers made it a laugher in the 9th. Ohtani started with a single, stole second, Teoscar managed an infield single, and then Ohtani led a double steal with Teoscar to put a pair on. Amed Rosario pinch hit and grounded a ball up the middle that bounced off a glove for a single and a run, then singles from Will Smith, Heyward, and Enrique led to three more runs. After a pair of strikeouts seemed to ruin the fun, a wild pitch scored another run, and then Nick Ahmed grounded a ball up the middle for another single and run to make it 10-0.
The 6-run rally in the 9th spearheaded by Shohei Ohtani's single and two steals. pic.twitter.com/4tLjKqhkXR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
Neato.
To close things out, it was Enrique on the mound.
Enrique Hernandez closes out the win by allowing just a double in a scoreless 9th. pic.twitter.com/xuSHEO85U8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
Give him a save, tbh.
Veteran Enrique Hernandez throws rookie Andy Pages under the bus. pic.twitter.com/7ofZhElJFf
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 4, 2024
“Shohei who?” ⁰⁰Kiké and Shohei, two-way players. 😂 pic.twitter.com/wYXsbus2Yp
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 4, 2024
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Man, Flaherty is a sight for sore eyes.
To put this in perspective, the Dodgers have 2 quality starts since June 27 (29 games for them), ahead of only the Marlins' 1
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) August 4, 2024
Every other MLB team has at least six quality starts in that time (and an average of just over 10 per team)https://t.co/c5t9rbi1IZ https://t.co/syKFvjoXPn
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 64-47 |
| Padres | 60-52 (4.5 GB) |
The series concludes tomorrow a few hours earlier at 10:07 AM HT/1:07 PM PT/4:07 PM ET, and it’ll be River Ryan looking to continue to build up his rookie resume against Osvaldo Bido.
