Dodgers 6, Cardinals 3: Bobby Miller dominates with 11 K in season debut, Teoscar Hernandez goes yard twice

Chad Moriyama 03/29/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

After prevailing their home opener yesterday in dominant fashion, the Dodgers seemed like they wanted to do the same tonight after an early flurry of homers and a dominant start from Bobby Miller. However, the Cardinals at least managed to make it interesting late, and the Dodgers were forced to only win by three in a 6-3 victory.

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The Cardinals ran out Zack Thompson, who didn’t pitch terribly aside from the homers. Unfortunately for him, there were a bunch of homers.

That started immediately, as Mookie Betts continued to stay red hot and yanked his third homer of the year to make it 1-0 right away.

The very next inning, Teoscar Hernandez finally opened his dong account with the Dodgers, going oppo for his first homer of the year to double the lead to 2-0.

After a quiet inning, the fireworks got started again in the 4th. A Will Smith walk started the rally, as Max Muncy followed with a single on the next pitch to make it a threat, and on the very next pitch after that was Hernandez’s second homer of the night and the season off the top of the wall in left to make it 5-0.

The bats squandered a single and walk to start the 5th, and also wasted a lead-off double in the 6th. Thompson got just one out in that frame before giving way to the relief core, who closed out the threat.

Updates have been quiet on the other end because Miller was absolutely dominant. He started the game by striking out the side in the 1st, and actually retired 11 in a row to start before allowing a single in the 4th.

Miller then got the next five as well, but he gave up a one-out single and then issued a two-out walk to put himself in his first jam of the game in the 6th. He began to labor a bit because his pitch count was getting up there due to the amount of strikeouts, but he bore down one more time to strikeout Nolan Gorman on a challenge fastball at the top of the zone.

What an impressive outing, and he ended it by getting out of situations he seemed to struggle with a bit last year: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K, 93 Pitches.

For the Dodgers, of all the guys to tack on insurance, Miguel Rojas was an unlikely candidate. Nevertheless, he yanked a ball down the line in left for his first homer of the year to make it 6-0 to the Dodgers in the 7th.

That insurance would seem necessary pretty soon.

Michael Grove took over for Miller and found himself in some trouble due to a pair of singles, but he managed to work through that jam nicely. However, no such luck in the 8th, as an infield single, a hit batter, and a walk loaded the bases and spelled the end of Grove’s night.

Ryan Brasier then entered but didn’t provide immediate relief, allowing a double to right from Gorman to drive in a pair. Nolan Arenado then hit a deep fly ball to left for a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-3, but a strikeout and comebacker off Brasier’s wrist deflected nicely to Mookie to end the rally.

After the Dodgers went down in order in their half of the 8th, it was Evan Phillips on for the save in the 9th. He made things drama-free at least, cruising through a 1-2-3 frame on just 11 pitches, including tallying a strikeout.

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Mookie on D.

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I always have time to whine about the broadcast.

This guy is loving life.

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3-1. Unbeatable juggernaut again.

Tomorrow’s game will feature the same teams but an hour earlier at 3:10 PM HT/6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto making his home debut, and he’ll be facing old friend Lance Lynn.

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