Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers picked up their second win in as many games with another resounding victory over the rival Giants on Friday night. The offense missed some opportunities in the first part of the game, but they ended up plating nine runs on 13 hits for a 2-0 start to the season.
We have our first winning streak, folks.
Ross Stripling pitched 7 solid innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts and no walks. The right-hander showed off his new changeup in the first inning against Pablo Sandoval. With a runner on, Sandoval chased the changeup for strike three. Then Stripling struck out Alex Dickerson with his four-seamer to close out the scoreless frame.
Max Muncy hit the second home run of the season for the Dodgers with a first-inning solo dong to right field, giving the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.
Tyler Anderson continued to struggle the first time through the Dodgers lineup. A Corey Seager single followed consecutive walks to Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger, but Chris Taylor flied out to left to strand three.
Joc Pederson, designated hitter, made a rare start against a left-handed pitcher. Anderson wasn’t long for the game, but Pederson was able to make use of his at-bat against him with a leadoff single in the bottom of the 2nd. After a two-out walk to Muncy, Gabe Kapler brought the early hook for Anderson.
Turner then singled off right-hander Rico Garcia on the first pitch he saw with two outs, bringing home Joc to add a run.
Jaylin Davis got the Giants on the board in the 3rd with a leadoff opposite field home run vs. Stripling. Perhaps Stripling should avoid throwing his 93-mph four-seamer right down the middle. But other than a few mistakes with his fastball command, Stripling was great.
Meanwhile, Seager was once again doing Seager things. He collected his second base hit of the game, a double (shocker) to the gap with one out in the 3rd off Kevin Gausman. The Dodgers stranded two more, missing another scoring opportunity.
Muncy and Turner hit back-to-back doubles off Gausman in the 4th to make it 3-1.
Even though the Dodgers had a two-run lead, it felt like it should have been a crooked number on the board already (spoiler alert) with all the action on the bases. Through the first four innings, they left eight men on base.
Seager showed heads up base running in the 5th, tagging up on a great sliding catch in center to rob Will Smith of a hit. Smith did get the RBI, and the Dodgers took a 4-1 lead.
Muncy went deep for the second time of the season and night with a solo dong in the 6th.
The Dodgers tacked another two runs in the 7th on a throwing error by catcher Rob Brantly and an RBI single by Mookie Betts.
Jake McGee made his Dodgers debut in the 8th in relief of Stripling, walking one in the scoreless frame.
The Giants … yikes. They gave up another two runs to the Dodgers in the home half of the 8th through a CT3 infield single and Smith bases-loaded walk.
Dylan Floro got the ball in the 9th to close things out, and he secured a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts.
Dustin May and Stripling weren’t even supposed to be in the Dodgers starting rotation, but both have impressed in their first starts filling in for David Price and Clayton Kershaw.
I missed you so much, baseball.
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There was a scary moment when Taylor and Sandoval collided at first base. Sandoval was jumping up to catch the throw from Wilmer Flores, and Taylor was running through trying to leg out a single.
Luckily both players were okay.
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The Dodgers go for their first series win when Alex Wood takes the mound on Saturday. First pitch is at 1:10 PM PST on FOX.
