Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
In defeating the Rockies this afternoon by a 7-4 score, the Dodgers clinched their 100th win of the season, just the eighth time in franchise history they’ve managed that.
So you’d think the story would revolve around that, but no, the most important thing is that Hyun-Jin Ryu went yard.
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But that’s for later, the game began with Ryu giving up a homer to … Garrett Hampson or whatever his name is.
Both teams then struggled to score for a bit. The Dodgers stranded the bases loaded in the 2nd and left runners at first and second in the 4th, so the score remained 1-0.
Then the 5th came around and so did the magic. Ryu stepped up to the plate after going down 0-2 in the count and smashed a ball the opposite way for his first career homer.
The level of excitement was crazy.
Joe Davis made the call…
…and didn’t lie in talking about its importance.
Way better moment than that
— Joe Davis (@Joe_Davis) September 22, 2019
Korea was hyped.
This is the body you want.
That seemingly energized the bats as well because following Ryu the Dodgers went Joc Pederson walk, Gavin Lux single, and Justin Turner single to load the bases. Then NL MVP Cody Bellinger stepped up to the plate and parked a no-doubter for a grand slam and his 46th ding dong of the year to make it 5-1.
Meanwhile, after the 1st inning homer, Ryu cruised through the next five frames. He faced just one over the minimum in that time but ran into quick strike trouble in the 7th. A single and a homer cut the lead to 5-3 and sullied an otherwise stellar outing for him. Ryu struck out eight in seven innings, giving up the three runs on six hits and no walks.
Fortunately, Corey Seager had his back and went yard with two out for his 18th homer in the 7th and propped the lead back up to three at 6-3.
After Ryu’s exit, Dave Roberts basically continued the postseason prep work for relievers in the 8th. Caleb Ferguson was first to enter, ostensibly knowing he had one batter to get, and he issued a walk. He was immediately removed for Dustin May, who hit a batter on the first pitch. However, he was allowed to continue and rebounded with a double play and a strikeout of Nolan Arenado.
The Dodgers then got more insurance in their half of the 8th as Will Smith showed signs of life by donging his 14th dinger of the year to make it 7-3.
Kenley Jansen then was tasked with the 9th and gave up a lead-off single that just beat the shift, but he rebounded with two quick outs. However, he then got into a long plate appearance that ended with a double down the line to plate another and make it 7-4 before getting a strikeout to end it.
Not the best way to end the game in terms of what matters for the Dodgers at this point, which is not really wins.
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The Dodgers are now 4.5 games up on the Braves in the NL with six games remaining.
