Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
A matchup of front of the rotation starters eventually turned into a surprisingly high-scoring game. While the Dodgers ran up the score on Mitch Keller early, the Pirates clawed back into it against Jack Flaherty with one big swing. Thankfully, the offense continued to add on in the later innings, and the much-maligned Dodgers pen did their job in a 9-5 victory.
======
Facing off against Keller, the Dodgers started things in the 1st as Freddie Freeman yanked his 17th dinger of the year to right for a 1-0 lead.
Start it off, Freddie! pic.twitter.com/T24Dt88q5I
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 10, 2024
But it was the 3rd that resulted in the game’s big rally. After an Andy Pages walk, it was instant offense from Shohei Ohtani, who cranked his 35th dinger of the year to make it 3-0 in a flash.
Putting on a Sho for Sandy Koufax. pic.twitter.com/75CteKxdh4
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 10, 2024
Teoscar Hernandez followed that with a walk, Freddie doubled, and Will Smith got back in the saddle with a check-swing single to drive them both in. After he advanced on a wild pitch, eventually Miguel Rojas drove him in as well to complete the five-run inning and make it 6-0.
Will Smith destroys a double to make it a four-run inning. pic.twitter.com/yMOCK92NUl
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 10, 2024
Miguel Rojas singles in another run. pic.twitter.com/GRhBQMzwbQ
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 10, 2024
Meanwhile, in his follow-up start as a Dodger, Flaherty alternated between dominance and trouble. A lead-off double started the game in the 1st, but a pair of strikeouts helped him escape the frame with no damage. After a clean 2nd, the 3rd saw him have to work around a one-out double, but the 4th saw Oneil Cruz laser a ball into the right-field stands to make it 6-1. Flaherty also had his pitch count extended by a pair of singles and having to strike out three batters to end it.
The offense came right back in the bottom of the 4th behind a Jason Heyward double and Teoscar single to push the lead back to six at 7-1.
Teoscar Hernandez stays hot and singles in a run. pic.twitter.com/4RXJTClDW1
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 10, 2024
Unfortunately, the dam finally broke against Flaherty in the 5th. A couple of strikeouts bookended a pair of singles, and Joey Bart stepped up to club a three-run homer with two down, cutting the lead to 7-4.
At least the Dodgers seemed determined to not blow this one. With Keller now out of the game, a lead-off walk from Will in the 5th was eventually cashed in when Enrique Hernandez lined a ball to left that went off Bryan Reynolds‘ glove for a two-run shot — his seventh of the year — to make it 9-4.
Nowhere near as funny as Jose Canseco, but Bryan Reynolds did his best to help Enrique Hernandez's homer. pic.twitter.com/Z8FErlV8al
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 10, 2024
The offense stalled out after that for the final three frames, but they had done enough damage.
For whatever reason, Flaherty was allowed to continue on to throw 110 pitches, and he got two outs but also issued his first walk and gave up a single in the 6th, as he looked like he was tiring from the start.
Only then did Dave Roberts make a move to the pen: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 110 Pitches.
Anthony Banda entered and notched a strikeout to end the 6th and strand the runners, then continued in the 7th, and he worked around a double to get four outs total.
Evan Phillips continued his quest to regain his form and that took a step forward today as he struck out two in a 1-2-3 frame on 10 pitches. To close things out it was Daniel Hudson, who issued a walk that advanced on defensive indifference and later scored on a single to make it 9-5, but otherwise didn’t have problems.
======
| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 67-49 |
| Padres | 65-52 (2.5 GB) |
Same two teams, same place, an hour earlier tomorrow at 3:10 PM HT/6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET. It’ll be River Ryan looking to continue to impress against the phenom that is Paul Skenes.
