Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
While the Dodgers fell behind early to the hapless White Sox, they came back just as quickly, and then their biggest star continued to prove why that’s so with what ended up being the game-winning hit thanks to a stellar outing from the pen in a 4-3 victory.
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The game got off to a great start as Shohei Ohtani led the game off with his 24th homer of the year to put the Dodgers up 1-0 early.
Your NL home run leader, Shohei Ohtani! pic.twitter.com/zxHGxRX7W6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 26, 2024
That didn’t last long.
Coming back off the IL, Bobby Miller is having a rough go of it, and this time the struggles came against the lowly White Sox. After walking the lead-off man in the 1st, Andrew Benintendi jumped on the first pitch he saw from Miller to line a two-run homer into the bleachers in right. After an infield single followed, Eloy Jimenez doubled into the corner in left to drive another run in and made it 3-0.
Miller eventually got out of that, but it took 38 pitches to complete the frame. He then took 22 more pitches to get through the 2nd, where he had to work around a single and a pair of walks to avoid further damage, so Dave Roberts made the choice to yank him for both ineffectiveness and to protect his arm.
The offense did manage to fight back at least, as after they stranded a hit by pitch and infield single with one out in the 2nd, they tied things up in the 3rd. Ohtani drew a walk to start, and later Freddie Freeman went oppo and smashed his 12th homer of the year to tie things up at 3-3.
Tie it up, Freddie! pic.twitter.com/PmsDVvGxeT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 26, 2024
They then took the lead in the 4th behind a Gavin Lux walk, a Miguel Vargas single, and then a Ohtani single that drove in Lux to make it 4-3.
Shohei Ohtani pulls a ball off the plate into the hole for a single and the lead. pic.twitter.com/om8oBcm8CL
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 26, 2024
Due to Miller’s early exit, the Dodgers pen had seven innings to get. That trek started with Michael Petersen in the 3rd, who worked around a two-out double and walk in that frame, then got another scoreless inning in the 4th.
Yohan Ramirez was then tasked with the 5th, getting a pair of outs but also allowing a single and double. That put a pair in scoring position and led to Anthony Banda entering for matchup reasons, and getting a fly out to end that inning. He continued in the 6th, walking a batter but getting two outs, as Blake Treinen was then called on to get the final out. He did so, and then also got a scoreless 7th despite allowing a double.
Goodness. pic.twitter.com/uYoxaCSaSk
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 26, 2024
The depleted lineup continued to perform like one after taking the lead, managing just one quasi-chance in the 5th after a two-out double and nothing more the rest of the way.
So that made it a one-run cushion to protect, and Daniel Hudson set things up in the 8th, cruising through a 1-2-3 frame. Evan Phillips then took his normal place as closer a day after setting up, getting through things without drama on just 14 pitches.
50!
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 50-31 |
| Padres | 42-41 (9 GB)* |
*Either still playing or will play later.
100-win pace. Exactly.
The Dodgers will go for the sweep in the series finale tomorrow, which is at the same time of 2:10 PM HT/5:10 PM PT/8:10 PM ET. It’ll be Gavin Stone looking to continue his excellent run against Erick Fedde.
