Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Since being no-hit by the Cubs, the Dodgers are red hot, now winners of seven in a row after their remarkable 10-5 win over the Nationals tonight.
Down 3-1 late in the game, the Dodgers exploded for a nine-run frame in the 7th, eventually cruising to taking the first two games of the four-game series.
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Julio Urias got back on track a bit in his last start after a rough stretch and looked to build on that. However, there was already a mess in the 2nd frame, though not all of his own doing. A single and a double got him in trouble, but a throwing error on a ground ball from Justin Turner is what plated both runs and allowed Victor Robles to advance to third. A sac fly promptly made it 3-0, and by the end of the inning only one should’ve scored.
Urias settled down nicely from there at least, retiring the next nine batters in a row, and actually not being threatened again in the game. He didn’t have his strikeout stuff working, but he also limited the hits: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 87 Pitches
Future Dodger and current Nationals starter Max Scherzer was as good as advertised for the most part. After having a lead-off double in the 1st erased on a throw from Robles, he didn’t allow the Dodgers to face another runner in scoring position the rest of his time in the game.
He did allow one run in 4th, however, on a solo Turner homer to make it 3-1. It was his 13th of the season.
That was when the trouble started for the Nationals. Sam Clay entered in relief, immediately giving up a double to Chris Taylor, who advanced to third on a fly out. Albert Pujols then cut into the lead with an infield single (yes, you read that right) to make it 3-2, and Austin Barnes got hit by a pitch.
Austin Voth looked to stop the bleeding but did the opposite. He walked Zach McKinstry to load the bases, gave up a two-run, go-ahead single to Mookie Betts, a two-run jam-shot single to Max Muncy, and a single to JT to corner the runners with still just one out.
Kyle Lobstein was next up but didn’t fare significantly better. He got a grounder that saw Muncy caught in a rundown, which he stayed in long enough to advance the runners. That paid off as CT3 singled to score two, and then AJ Pollock homered to score two more, capping a nine-run inning and making it 10-3.
From there it was thankfully mostly tension-free due to the lead. Jimmy Nelson pitched a perfect 7th, and Garrett Cleavinger took over in the 8th. He allowed two singles with one out, and a run scored on a Max Muncy error before he exited.
Brusdar Graterol took over after coming off the IL, greeted by an Austin Barnes error on inference before getting out of the inning. He continued in the 9th, getting two outs, giving up a double, and then a run scored after yet another error before he could close the game out. Needless to say, the Dodgers didn’t play a clean game defensively, but mistakes are allowed when you score 10 runs.
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51-31? Not bad.
The Dodgers aim to make it eight in a row tomorrow at 1:15 PM HST/4:15 PM PST/7:15 PM EST with Clayton Kershaw facing Paolo Espino on FOX.
