Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers rode a slumping bat and another great team pitching performance to their 69th win of the season.
Nice.
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Much like last night, east coast weather decided to suck and the Dodgers and Phillies had to deal with a rain delay.
Pls get vaccinated so I can go to concerts again.
Today’s rain delay was shorter than yesterday’s. The Phillies also planned for this one, as right before first pitch they opted to start Connor Brogdon instead of Kyle Gibson. Brogdon and closer Hector Neris combined to keep the Dodgers off the board before the rain delay. David Price returned the favor and things were scoreless through three innings and a rain delay.
Gibson came on for the Phillies and, after a scoreless third, he ran into some trouble in the fourth. A leadoff Corey Seager walk and a flyout started things, then Cody Bellinger came up and had what was easily his best plate appearance of the season. Bellinger had nine foul balls in a 13-pitch at bat, capping it off with an opposite field dong to make it 2-0.
The homer did not kill the rally, as AJ Pollock followed it up with a single. Matt Beaty replaced him on a fielder’s choice, and then Price came up and smashed a double to make it 3-0.
Oh right, Price was continuing on the mound even after the delay in order to give the Dodgers needed length. Unfortunately, Price could not throw a #ShutdownInning, as he allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. He then forced what could/should have been an inning-ending double play, but Trea Turner‘s throw to first was high and the inning was kept alive. A double put two runners in scoring position, and old friend Ronald Torreyes singled to drive in both runners. Price escaped further damage as Odubel Herrera bat flipped a tough-luck flyout.
Both teams remained quiet until the seventh, which the Dodgers started with a Turner single. Max Muncy got hit by a pitch, and Seager hit a grounder that could have gotten the Phillies out of the inning. Instead, it got under Alec Bohm‘s glove and gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead.
The error put runners on the corners, and a passed ball gave the Dodgers another run. A walk chased Gibson from the game, which is how I learned Archie Bradley was on the Phillies. Bradley struck out Bellinger, but allowed a single to Pollock to make it 6-2.
The inning ended with a Brusdar Graterol plate appearance.
Meanwhile, the Dodger bullpen continued their dominance from yesterday’s game. On Tuesday, six relievers combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Tonight, Price lasted four innings before being relieved by Phil Bickford, who allowed a single in a scoreless fifth. When he wasn’t at the plate, Graterol gave the Dodgers two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts. Blake Treinen got the eighth and struck out the side in order.
The Dodgers then added insurance as Will Smith led off the ninth with a walk, and after a couple outs Bellinger added a second home run to make it 8-2.
Kenley Jansen was warming, but Bellinger’s homer meant Edwin Uceta got the ninth. Uceta allowed a single and a Turner error kept the Phillies alive, but Uceta struck out Brad Miller to wrap up the 8-2 win.
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This gives the Dodgers their fifth win in their last six games. They haven’t been able to make up ground on the Giants, who are currently beating the Diamondbacks again.
They look for the sweep tomorrow in the series phinale (get it) (this is what you all get for making me do recap). The Dodgers will make a roster move before tomorrow’s game, as Mitch White is scheduled to be either the starter or bulk arm in a bullpen game. Ranger Suarez starts for the Phillies, and first pitch is at 10:05 AM PDT.
