Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers have ended their short homestand with a series loss against the Guardians in a 5-3 loss that included the guests scoring three runs in the last two innings to win it.
K.
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In his first start back from the IL, Andrew Heaney was fresh, running the fastball up a tick and generating a bunch of whiffs.
Still, there was some early mess, as he worked around a double and a hit batter in the 1st. Then in the 2nd he was put into a mess by Eddy Alvarez, who dropped a routine fly ball for a two-base error, then compounded that by misreading a “single”. That led to a Austin Hedges sacrifice fly and the game’s first run.
Thankfully, Heaney didn’t let the sloppy defense get to him, as he followed that with three consecutive scoreless innings before seemingly tiring in the 6th, giving up a homer to Omar Gonzalez and then issuing a walk before being removed.
Heaney allowed his first earned run of the year in the outing: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 7 K, 77 Pitches.
Dave Roberts turned to Brusdar Graterol, who didn’t look sharp, allowing a lineout, single, and hit by pitch in an inning where he loaded the bases, but did have two punch-outs to escape disaster.
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Opposing him was Shane Bieber, who seemed like a tough matchup for a struggling Dodgers offense, but they did better than I expected, insofar as they didn’t get shutout.
After stranding a Will Smith double in the 1st, the Dodgers had another threat in the 2nd behind a Chris Taylor single and Justin Turner walk. Things looked bleak with two outs, but it was Gavin Lux again who came through with a hustle double into the gap to tie the game.
Surprisingly, the Dodgers then took the lead in the 3rd behind a Freddie Freeman oppo shot, his sixth dinger of the year.
After allowing a single to follow that homer, Bieber then set down 12 of the next 13, with the lone single he surrendered being erased by a double play. He was removed at 98 pitches after surrendering a single in the 7th to Alvarez.
That proved key, as Alvarez then stole second and scored on a Trea Turner infield single that was thrown wide for a 3-2 lead. But their pen did get through that without further damage and got a scoreless 8th as well.
In the other pen, Yency Almonte was given the 7th, allowing an infield hit on a dribbler in front of the plate and a stolen base, but striking out two and being removed for matchup reasons even though he’s one of the pen’s best right now. Alex Vesia entered and got a fly out, continuing to be effective against lefties. He continued in the 8th, giving up a lead-off single and then getting an out on a sac bunt.
Dave then turned to Daniel Hudson, who started nicely with a strikeout, but then gave up a double down the line in right to tie the game at 3-3, also issuing a walk before getting out of the inning.
Craig Kimbrel took over in the 9th and started with a strikeout, but then issued a walk and gave up a fly ball double that Alvarez again struggled with. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Andres Gimenez singled for the lead and Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to make it 5-3.
Dodgers very likely win 3-2 or something if that Mookie guy is in right, just on defense alone.
Emmanuel Clase then locked it down for the save. I was impressed the Dodgers didn’t strikeout all three tiems.
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The Dodgers fall to 40-25 on the year and remain in the NL West lead by a half game over the Padres, who also lost today.
After a day off to travel tomorrow, the Dodgers start their road trip in Cincinnati against the Reds with Tony Gonsolin against Tyler Mahle.
