Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
On a hot summer night in Los Angeles, the Dodgers (58-42) never gave up and came back from a 7-3 deficit for a four-run ninth to force extra innings for the second straight game. James Outman had himself a night going 3-for-3 with the walk-off double in the bottom of the tenth to tie the series up against the Blue Jays (56-46).
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The game was a close one until Toronto scored three in the last two frames.
After yet another 1st inning run against Julio Urías, Freddie Freeman tied the game up with one swing of the bat with a solo homer, his 21st of the season, off Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second, but Mookie Betts grounded out to short to halt the scoring opportunity.
On the other side, Julio Urías wasn’t very effective on 0-2 counts, and that cost him another two runs and the lead in the top of the third. He hit Kiermaier, then served up a slurve to Bo Bichette that the slugger sent sailing over the center field wall for a two-run homer to make it 3-1.
We didn’t get to see the offense do their new dance much, but Will Smith awkwardly got in on the dance action after a double to center field in the 3rd. The Dodgers took advantage of a Toronto miscue on Muncy’s sac fly to bring them within one run of their powder blue opponent. 3-2.
Urías had a lot of misses on the night, but Dave Roberts put his faith in his ace left-hander with runners at second and third and two outs in the top of the sixth. The southpaw dug deep, hitting a career-high 104 pitches, and struck out Whit Merrifield to finish the sixth.
But the offense failed to back up their pitcher and stranded another two men in the home half of the sixth.
Yency Almonte only needed 11 pitches to strike out two and retire the heart of the Jays’ order in the top of the seventh, but those that followed him struggled. Caleb Ferguson gave up a run in the eighth on a Alejandro Kirk RBI double to give Toronto a two-run lead.
J.D. Martinez had been out of the last couple of games with a strained hamstring, but he was back in the lineup to hit dingers. He got the Dodgers their first run since the third inning, and within a run of the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth with a home run. The solo shot, off Tim Mayza, is his 25th of the season.
Unfortunately, a pair of walks and a single loaded things up in the 9th for the Jays, and a bases-clearing double from Danny Jansen against Justin Bruihl put the Blue Jays ahead 7-3.
Things seemed bleak at that point, but it just made for a more dramatic Dodgers comeback.
James Outman, Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts attacked Erik Swanson for three straight base hits and a run in the bottom of the ninth, though he did get Freeman to fly out for the first out.
Fortunately, Matt Chapman then made a huge mistake on a Smith chopper to third, which allowed the Dodgers to load the bases with one out for Muncy on his bobblehead night. Muncy drew a bases loaded walk to make it 7-5, but Swanson struck out Martinez for the second out.
The Dodgers, also aggressive, scored another two runs off Swanson on a Chris Taylor ground ball single to second after a deflection. Smith was trucking around third, ignoring Dino Ebel‘s stop sign, to slide in and score their seventh and tying run.
The Dodgers then headed to extra innings for the second consecutive game.
Brusdar Graterol pitched a scoreless frame, though mainly due to Betts’ cannon throw to home and Smith executing a perfect tag (contrary to the Blue Jays illogical blocking challenge) to preserve the 7-7 tie.
After the Dodgers forced the Blue Jays into extra innings for the second night in a row, Outman had himself a night and walked things off with a booming double off the center field wall for the 8-7 win.
What a game.
We see you, @kirsten_watson. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/j4Q0w1Q0z2
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 26, 2023
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Now the Dodgers go for the series win over the Blue Jays when they finish their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
Tony Gonsolin (5-3, 3.94 ERA, 5.03 xFIP) takes on Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 3.92 ERA, 4.06 xFIP) at 1:10 PM PST on SportsNet LA in the series finale at Dodger Stadium. It also marks the return of Enrique Hernandez to the Dodgers, who was acquired Tuesday from the Boston Red Sox.
