Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Zack Greinke returned to Dodger Stadium and was generally greeted with boos and animosity from fans. And while I’m personally still a huge fan of Greinke’s, so that was a bit hard to see unfold, it’s also difficult to think anywhere else would react much differently when an ace pitcher bolts for a division rival (ish) at the last second for the most money. Don’t see why people were complaining about it like they were surprised by the reaction.
Anyway, Greinke’s day didn’t get any better from there, as he got absolutely shelled today. How bad? Uh.
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/772976153208291328
Greinke gave up five homers and eight runs, including four dingers in an inning, ballooning his ERA to 4.54. That outing definitely set the table for what was eventually an 10-2 win for the Dodgers, and also the team’s third in a row.
This is good.
I suppose we should start with the good stuff, right? Hell yeah, inject that stuff right into your veins!
But actually, things didn’t look great for the offense through the first three frames, as Greinke allowed only a single and struck out six Dodgers. Starting in the fourth, though, the wheels really started to come off the wagon. Corey Seager led off the frame with a double, and with one down, Adrian Gonzalez turned on a shoulder-high inside fastball for a homer.
So that got the scoring started and put the Dodgers up 2-0, but it was all they got in the frame. However, the fifth inning was a different story, as it just got ridiculous. After Greinke got the first batter, Joc Pederson extended the lead to 3-0 by hammering a hanging slider to center.
Following that, everything just went to shit for Greinke. Kenta Maeda reached on an infield single just out of his reach, then Chase Utley singled to left, which set things up for Seager. Greinke, of course, was famously a huge admirer of Seager, and he seemed willing to prove himself right by allowing a three-run oppo taco to double the lead to 6-0.
That big blow was immediately followed by a Justin Turner homer for back-to-back shots and a 7-0 lead.
After an A-Gon grounder for an out that I didn’t even realize happened at the time in my delirium, Yasmani Grandal blasted a ball over the bullpen in right for an 8-0 lead and was the blow that knocked Greinke out of the game.
Later, in the eighth, they added another run on a wild pitch that scored Josh Reddick (double) from third and then Utley singled to right to score Kendrick (walk) for a 10-2 lead.
FUN
It was so fun that Yasiel Puig and Kenta Maeda started … well.
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/772990847579066368
Speaking of Kenta, he was great today, looking downright dominant at times over his 102 pitches and 6.1 innings. Maeda struck out eight, and allowed just a run on three hits and a walk, with the damage coming in his last frame. It’ll be overlooked with all the offensive fireworks, but he continues to provide the steady quality that the rotation has desperately needed all season.
Louis Coleman helped a bit, as he escaped trouble in the seventh for Kenta by getting the two batters necessary to get out of the inning. Coleman gave way to Jesse Chavez in the eighth for some mop-up duty, and Chavez gave up a walk, a hit, and a run in his inning of work. Not great, obviously, but hard to get worked up over given the lead.
Yet, because God clearly hates me, this actually happened.
.@truebluela sooo wants Josh Ravin to pitch the ninth!
Chavez
Ravin— David Young 🎙️ #Vin (@DavidYoungTBLA) September 6, 2016
Fire Dave Roberts.
Anyway, Josh Ravin got a scoreless ninth inning for the win, striking out one and walking one.
Jesse Chavez pitching the 8th. I think we know who needs to start the 9th
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) September 6, 2016
Would be appropriate if SportsNet LA didn't even go to commercial break as history is made between innings
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) September 6, 2016
For the first time in Dodger Stadium history, Chavez-Ravin have pitched in a game at Chavez Ravine
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) September 6, 2016
My life is complete pic.twitter.com/Go2XUCebYN
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) September 6, 2016
What a downer to end the game.
#StopEricStephen
—–
The Dodgers improve to 77-60 with the win, and get to a rather ridiculous 45-27 at home. The Giants got blowed up in Satan Field against the Rockies, so the NL West lead is now 4 games for the Dodgers.
We do it again tomorrow night at 4:10 PM HST/7:10 PM PST/10:10 PM EST, with Ross Stripling (4.15 ERA/3.84 FIP/4.44 DRA) taking the hill for the Dodgers against Shelby Miller (6.81 ERA/5.48 FIP/5.69 DRA) for the Diamondbacks. Logic says the Dodgers should shell Shelby Miller, so expect a shutout.
