Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
An explosive five-run inning in the 7th gave the Guardians the lead for good to start the the series against the Dodgers, who fell 8-3 after mostly struggling offensively tonight.
Things were going well until some experiments seemed to go awry.
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Due to baseball being baseball, I had concerns about Noah Syndergaard facing the Dodgers and shutting them out somehow.
Thankfully, I was disabused of that worry early, as Mookie Betts led the game off with a single and stolen second, then Will Smith hit a no-doubt homer for his 16th of the year and a 2-0 lead.
I'm so happy he's not gonna shut out the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/yMgUawBrSK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 22, 2023
After a clean 2nd for him, it was the top of the order that got to Syndergaard again in the 3rd. A Mookie walk was followed by an easy stolen base on a pitch out, and Freddie Freeman cashed that in immediately with a single to push the lead to 3-0. Freddie would also steal second, but was stranded there.
Freddie Freeman follows with a single, winning a 10-pitch at-bat. pic.twitter.com/NVjMWO17rb
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 22, 2023
On the other side, Bobby Miller took the ball for the Dodgers and looked dominant early. He started with a nine-pitch 1st inning that included a strikeout, and he followed that by getting two strikeouts in an eight-pitch 2nd inning. With two outs in the 3rd, he gave up a single for his first baserunner of the game, but otherwise didn’t face any trouble.
Good grief, Bobby Miller. pic.twitter.com/JrcvApI8rT
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 22, 2023
At that point, he looked like he in for a great start, especially so after two outs in the 4th. However, on an 0-2 pitch he hung a slider to Oscar Gonzalez and expressed his displeasure as it was hit out for a homer to cut the lead to 3-1.
Bobby Miller wasn't pleased with the 0-2 mistake. pic.twitter.com/H3YRkeV1vv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 23, 2023
A single, steal, and wild pitch followed, and a second run came home on a Gabriel Arias single that made it 3-2. A fourth consecutive two-out hit followed that before the rally was over, and as it turns out David Peralta‘s sliding play to start the inning may have prevented disaster.
Choo Choo Man defense. pic.twitter.com/5pXTKeo5n8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 23, 2023
Unfortunately, Syndergaard seemed to settle in while this was going on, notching a clean 4th, working around a two-out Betts double in the 5th, and cruised through an 11-pitch inning in the 6th to end his outing. If he just did this with the Dodgers, maybe he wouldn’t be on the Guardians. Geez.
That brought in the Guardians pen, where Sam Hentges struck out the side in the 7th, and that proved valuable considering what was happening on the other side.
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Things seemed to be going well for the Dodgers despite the lead being cut, as Miller did bounceback with an 11-pitch frame in the 5th, and then notched a 12-pitch 6th to complete his outing in impressive fashion.
Surprisingly, Dave Roberts let him continue in the 7th, and he came out and got the righty to start. However, he left him in even after that batter, and the lefties went single and walk to knock him out of the game. Perhaps useful info for Dave, even if potentially at the cost of the game.
6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 97 Pitches
Caleb Ferguson was summoned in relief, who immediately got a grounder for an out, but those extra runs on Miller’s line was because Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez both singled to drive in runs and take a 4-3 lead.
Kole Calhoun followed with the killer blow, smashing a three-run homer to make it 7-4 before the inning ended.
Bryan Hudson followed in the 8th and couldn’t stop the bleeding, allowing a pair of singles and then a Myles Straw two-out infield single to drive in a run and push the lead to 8-3. After loading the bases with a walk, he then got out of it at least.
Not that it mattered, really.
For the Guardians, it was Trevor Stephan in for a scoreless 8th, and then Emmanuel Clase entered despite the big lead. He gave up an infield single, but then induced a double play and got a strikeout to end it.
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Kirsten Watson wasn’t keeping her eye on the ball, apparently.
👍 pic.twitter.com/K3ovPoZPk5
— ʎ u u ɐ p 🚲⚾️ (@gatodejazz) August 22, 2023
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 76-48 |
| Giants | 65-60 (11.5 GB) |
*Either still playing or will play later.
The two teams will do it again tomorrow at the same time of 1:10 PM HT/4:10 PM PT/7:10 PM ET with Clayton Kershaw facing Xzavion Curry.
