Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After starting the series yesterday by getting walked off in extras, the Dodgers rebounded behind ace Julio Urias and a 11-hit attack led by Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner in an 8-4 victory over the Padres.
The fact that this lineup can wreck even while basically resting the resurgent Max Muncy and one of the lineup’s most consistent producers in Gavin Lux is very cool.
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Historically, Blake Snell has done very well against the Dodgers despite the memes, which made today all the more satisfying.
The lineup had him on the ropes from the get go, putting runners at the corners with one out but not getting anything out of it. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for thigs to change, as Trea tripled with two outs in the 3rd and was then scored by a Freddie single for the game’s first run.
It was the 5th that proved especially problematic for Snell, though. He started the inning with a walk to Trayce Thompson, then gave up a double to his father, Austin Barnes. Now facing the top of the order for the all important third time, he walked Mookie Betts to load the bases, got behind 3-1 in the count to Trea and then gave up a bases clearing double, and finally he surrendered an oppo double to Freddie that knocked him out of the game.
Going for the Dodgers was their ace Julio Urias, though things looked shaky early. After a walk to start the game, he loaded the bases with two outs after a single and another walk, but managed a strikeout to escape disaster. Julio rebounded and faced the minimum in the 2nd, despite giving up a single, thanks to a pick-off to end the frame.
The 3rd led to his only run surrendered, as the home-run ball came back to bite him, with Manny Machado going deep to tie the game at the time. He bounced back from that by retiring eight in a row … which ended in the 6th with Machado homering yet again. Thankfully that was also solo and made it just 5-2.
While giving up two homers isn’t ideal, it’s not a big deal if that’s basically all you surrender. Urias rebounded again by facing the minimum the rest of the way through the 7th, allowing just a bloop single after and seeing it erased by a double play.
7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 83 Pitches
In relief of Snell, the Padres pen actually started well, retiring seven in a row. However, with one out in the 7th, things got messy.
Trea drew a walk, then Freddie immediately followed with his 19th homer of the year to make it 7-2.
Things didn’t end there as Will Smith doubled (reached third on an error), Justin Turner walked, and Will was cashed it by a Chris Taylor single to push the lead to 8-2.
That was basically it for the scoring, but they didn’t need to do much more.
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Thanks to Julio, the Dodgers pen had to get just two innings, and started with Phil Bickford in the 8th. After he got a scoreless frame, Heath Hembree was tasked to close it out in the 9th and he managed to do just that despite giving up a pair of runs on a single, double, sacrifice fly, and another double to make the final 8-4.
Sigh.
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The Dodgers improve to 95-43 on the season and 46-25 on the road.
| TEAM | CHASE | GAMES |
|---|---|---|
| Astros | MLB | 6.5 Up |
| Mets | NL | 8 Up |
| Padres | NL West | 19 Up |
The rubber match will be early tomorrow at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET as the Dodgers go for their third series win in a row. Andrew Heaney will look to limit the long ball against Joe Musgrove.
