Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After the Phillies absolute lit up Dodgers pitching last week, things are going much better this time around as the Dodgers managed to limit the damage even in a pen game tonight, giving the bats enough time to rally for yet another comeback win, 7-4.
That’s seven in a row.
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The Dodgers put the winning streak on the line with a pen game due to a combination of injuries and wanting to give their rotation rest. So it was swingman Mitch White who took the hill and he started well with a 1-2-3 frame in the 1st, but that changed quickly in the 2nd with a walk, wild pitch, and then a double to Jean Segura to get the scoring started.
On the other end, Aaron Nola looked sharp, striking out seven batters through three innings. However, after working around a double in the 2nd, he then gave up Mookie Betts‘ ninth homer of the year in the 3rd to tie the game, 1-1.
White then gave it right back in the other half of the 3rd, as after a single he gave up a bomb to Alec Bohm to make it 3-1 for the Phillies.
That was it for White, as he was relieved by David Price, who got the last two outs of the inning. While he continued in the 4th, he gave up a Kyle Schwarber missile to make it 4-1 to the Phillies, only getting one out before exiting. Phil Bickford was then called upon to get the final two outs and he did so without issue.
After a clean 4th, the Dodgers started to find the timing against Nola in the 5th with two outs. A Chris Taylor single and a Gavin Lux walk set things up, and Mookie cashed it in by ripping a double to left-center and plating both runners to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Nola continued in the 6th and got one out, but then gave up an oppo solo shot to Will Smith to tie the game at 4-4 with his fourth of the year to knock Nola out.
The rally continued behind a walk, infield single, and another single, but couldn’t capitalize. The same happened in the 7th, with two singles and an intentional walk resulting in nothing, partially due to a successful pick-off.
While all that was going on, for the Dodgers pen Brusdar Graterol took the ball in the 5th and after some recent struggles looked dominant for two shutout, retiring all six batters he faced with three strikeouts.
The 7th didn’t go quite as smoothly as Justin Bruihl started the inning with a walk and then hit a batter, getting his only out on a sacrifice bunt. That brought in Daniel Hudson, who immediately induced a grounder to third with the infield in and Max Muncy threw home, but Will did … whatever this is and the bases were loaded.
That’s when Mookie came up huge with the glove, keeping the game tied after fielding a sinking liner and then throwing a strike to home for the massive double play to get out of the bases loaded jam.
Thank you, Red Sox!
Hudson then got two more outs in the 8th before turning things over to Alex Vesia for Schwarber, and he got him to fly out harmlessly.
Finally, the other half of the 8th is when the Dodgers rallied behind Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger singles, a wild pitch, and a Lux single for the lead. They didn’t land the big blow, but they also plated another on a wild pitch to push the lead to 6-4.
In a shocker, Austin Barnes provided insurance by retaking the team OPS lead with his fourth homer for the 7-4 final.
That set things up for Craig Kimbrel in the 9th, who went 1-2-3 with a couple of strikeouts to end it.
——
Umpires don’t give a fuck about stick checks anymore.
He’s a gem.
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27-12 and seven in a row.
Way too early tomorrow for the sweep at 7:35 AM HT/10:35 AM PT/1:35 PM ET with Tony Gonsolin facing Zach Eflin.
