Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After having their six-game winning streak snapped, the Dodgers got their season series against the Diamondbacks off on the right foot, eventually scoring some timely blows with the bases packed and getting out of enough mess to maintain the big lead their lineup got them in an 8-4 victory.
James Paxton this season is the saying “rather be lucky than good” personified.
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Speaking of the devil, Paxton’s ERA has been great, but everything else has been disaster worthy, and today things started to come unraveled a bit. He started the game off predictably with a four-pitch walk, and after a double, it was a Christian Walker sacrifice fly to deep deep center to make it 0-1 early. Could’ve been worse, actually.
Meanwhile, the offense had an unlucky 1st that saw a pair of singles stranded due to a run-and-hit double play, but the Dodgers picked right up in the 2nd with a Teoscar Hernandez single, Max Muncy taking a pitch off the elbow, an Enrique Hernandez double to tie the game, and then an Andy Pages sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead.
¡Kiké lo empata y Andy se trae la de la ventaja! pic.twitter.com/jXbsGxqkYE
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) April 30, 2024
Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts followed that with walks to load the bases with one out, but Shohei Ohtani grounded into a double play on the first pitch to kill off the rally. After that, Henry actually allowed just a single in his final two innings before he exited the game, living on the edge a bit but being ultimately effective.
Speaking of surviving on the edge, Paxton was back to work, and he got around a pair of singles and a walk in the 2nd to strand the bases loaded himself. After facing the minimum in the 3rd thanks to a walk being erased by a double play, he then gave up just a single in the 4th for a surprisingly clean run of two innings for him.
That gave the bats enough time to explode in the 5th after a bit of patience. With one out, back-to-back-to-back walks from Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith loaded the bases again, and this time Teoscar smashed a ground-rule oppo double for a pair of runs. After a two-out walk, the bags were juiced again, and again it was a double that scored a pair, this time from rookie Pages. After another Rojas walk, Betts made an out with the bases loaded, but it was 6-1 anyway.
Teo clutch! pic.twitter.com/gILleDNvXE
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2024
Andy Pages is good at baseball. pic.twitter.com/VlggA7hdGg
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2024
Little did they know, they needed those runs, as Paxton started to unravel in the 5th himself. A walk, double, and another walk loaded the bases with one out, which Eugenio Suarez took advantage of with a single for a run. Paxton then uncorked a wild pitch to plate another, and a sacrifice fly made it 6-4 before the threat was ended.
Amazingly? His FIP for the game was lower than his season total by over a run: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 96 Pitches.
The best thing I can say about him is he gets the Dodgers to score for him and somehow strands runners. Surely sustainable.
James Paxton's 2024 pic.twitter.com/Q8iE75uZyR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
The Dodgers did immediately get a run back in the 6th when Smith did a difficult thing and went yard to dead center in Arizona for his third of the year to make it 7-4.
Will to dead center! pic.twitter.com/D7HngTC31y
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2024
A quiet 7th was followed by insurance in the 8th, as a Rojas double and Betts walk led to an Ohtani single to push things to 8-4.
Shohei Ohtani singles for some insurance. pic.twitter.com/WITxBfwc5K
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
Nothing in the 9th, but they did make around 18-year history by not striking out.
Little less than 18 years since the Dodgers didn't strikeout. pic.twitter.com/vC7YlIBhQk
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
For the shorthanded Dodgers pen without Ryan Brasier, it was Daniel Hudson in the 6th with a nice and tidy seven-pitch inning. Joe Kelly was given the 7th and gave up just a single in his scoreless inning, and Alex Vesia continued his hot streak in the 8th, working around a two-out walk to post another zero.
Evan Phillips then cruised to a 1-2-3 frame in the 9th to complete the win and four shutout from the pen.
Cool.
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Speaking of Brasier, sounds like he’s going to be out a while.
Dave Roberts said Ryan Brasier strained his right calf running sprints before the game. He will get an MRI tomorrow.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 30, 2024
"It's going to be a slow process, I think, for him."
Gus Varland is back.
The Dodgers recalled RHP Gus Varland and placed RHP Ryan Brasier on the injured list with a right calf strain, retroactive to April 28.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 30, 2024
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Sorry to Eric Karros but it’s true.
Thank you. https://t.co/St43d2qOOV
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
The infield defense is sorta happening.
Outfielder, btw. pic.twitter.com/E26yaRWdvB
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
Infield defense being a strength was not what I anticipated after Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/qBxTOKl5np
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 30, 2024
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19-12, getting good.
Same two teams, same place, same time tomorrow at 3:40 PM HT/6:40 PM PT/9:40 PM ET with Landon Knack looking to follow his quality outing last time against big-name free-agent signing Jordan Montgomery.
