Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers seized the opportunity to get back to 3 games back of the Giants in the NL West for the first time since the first of the month with a dominant 9-0 win over the Pirates to complete the sweep Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Mets finally beat the Giants, 6-2, in 12 innings. The Dodgers already knew that they had a shot to gain ground on the Giants before Justin Bruihl took the mound and opened for the Dodgers. They struck quickly in the first inning with four straight hits and three runs off JT Brubaker before an out was even recorded. The Dodgers hit four home runs in the 9-0 win.
Max Muncy continued to hit like a MVP with two home runs and five runs batted in. Mitch White stepped up big time with a long-relief appearance for the books.
With the dominant victory over the Bucs, the Dodgers gained ground on the first-place Giants and sit 3 games back in the NL West. Six straight victories later — 10 wins out of their last 11 games — and they finally nudged a bit closer in the standings.
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AJ Pollock continued his hot hitting with a leadoff single to center. He would go on to have a three-hit, three-run night. Muncy then crushed a two-run opposite field dong, his 27th home run of the season. He’s on a home run tear.
The hit parade continued with a Justin Turner double and a Corey Seager RBI to give the Dodgers an early 3-0 lead.
Pollock’s solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd made it 4-0. That’s home run number 15 for Pollock. He only needs to hit one more long ball to match his best with the Dodgers (16 HR in 2020).
White was not only pitching well, but he also reached base for the first time in his MLB career when he drew a two-out walk against Brubaker in the 4th. That turned out to be a key walk, because Pollock singled to bring up Muncy with two on and two outs. Future MVP Max Muncy did his thing again when he blasted a three-run home run vs. Brubaker to open the game up 7-0.
Brubaker’s fateful night finally came to an end after he allowed seven runs on eight hits in four innings.
Kyle Keller, out of the Pittsburgh bullpen, served up the third home run to the Dodgers on the night, a two-run Corey Seager homer in the 6th.
Bruihl did his job and got five outs. That brought in Mitch White to throw the bulk of the innings for the Dodgers.
White gave the Dodgers the outing they were looking for from him. The Pirates only mustered three hits against Bruihl and White. White capped off his epic relief appearance with two strikeouts in the 9th. He allowed only two hits in scoreless 7 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six on 91 pitches (58 strikes). It was the first time White has pitched that deep in his MLB career. Bullpen game, who?
The Dodgers improved to 75-46 overall and 39-20 at home with the shutout win over the Pirates.
The Mets (60-60) come into town on Thursday to open a four-game series at Dodger Stadium. Taijuan Walker (7-7, 3.75 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) will pitch for New York, but the Dodgers’ starter — or opener — is yet to be announced. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PST.
