Dodgers 10, Phillies 7: Jimmy Earns Letters Back, Burns Old Team In Mess Of A Game

Daniel predicted a mess in the game thread, and boy was it ever a glorious mess. Fortunately it was one the Dodgers emerged victorious from by a score of 10-7 over the Phillies thanks to a two-run game-winning single from former Phillie Jimmy Rollins.

So while that might’ve been what won the game, boy was it an adventure to get there. And a long adventure of four hours and 13 minutes.

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The weird started before the game even started, with Yimi Garcia getting the nod today in lieu of an actual starter for the purpose of being able to pinch hit for him early in the game. That seems nice in theory, though I’m not sure how it factors in whatever performance penalty of a reliever having to prepare like a starter, especially since Yimi had given up runs in his last three appearances after running off a streak of seven scoreless games. Almost predictably then, Garcia struggled, surrendering four hits in his two innings of work and getting burned by the homer again, this time a two-run shot from Freddy Galvis (who has a power rating of like 20 in MLB The Show, right?).

Eric Surkamp, after being a starter in the minors for the Dodgers, entered in relief and started his own dumpster fire, failing to retire the first four batters he faced, including a Ryan Howard three-run bomb. Surkamp only escaped further trouble when Cody Asche killed a ball right to Adrian Gonzalez, who doubled up Carlos Ruiz at first. Odubel Herrera (WHAT IS THAT?!) also homered to extend the Phillies lead at the time, and leave Surkamp with four runs surrendered over 3.1 innings.

Fortunately, the Dodgers offense showed up today, totaling 10 runs on 15 hits and three walks, with eight of those hits going for extra bases.

Justin Turner started things off with a sac fly in the first, followed by an A-Gon homer to put the Dodgers up two. After the Phillies tied the game, Andre Ethier gave the Dodgers the lead with a double in the second. The Phillies got the lead again, so Yasmani Grandal had to get back things equal with a three-run bomb halfway up the pavilion in the fifth.

Howie Kendrick “Singles Hitter” then gave the Dodgers another lead in the bottom of the sixth on a single. Unfortunately, the Dodgers gave it back after Pedro Baez and J.P. Howell had to work out of a bases-loaded one out jam of Baez’s making in the seventh, and Baez was fortunate to just allow the tying run.

That setup the aforementioned Rollins game-winning single, which Joc Pederson followed with a double to provide a valuable insurance run given how things were going for the team (and in the game) at the time.

Adam Liberatore and Kenley Jansen closed out the eighth and ninth innings, with both allowing no runs after working out of trouble (fitting for this GLORIOUS MESS).

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I just want to take this moment to say that I hate every other writer on the Dodgers Digest staff for not being the one to take this recap. Thank you.