Dodgers 8, D-backs 6: Back-to-back-to-back homers start the game, but a Tommy Edman single wins it late

Chad Moriyama 08/31/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

After a wild game yesterday, things somehow got off to an even wilder start today, with nine runs put up in the first three half-innings. This series has certainly been something.

Anyway, following the fireworks things again did settle down a little bit (almost impossible not to), and the two teams were locked into another tightly-contested back-and-forth affair. After missing chance after chance late, the Dodgers finally got it done behind Tommy Edman playing hero in a 8-6 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Four in a row.

======

D-backs starter Merrill Kelly was greeted about as rudely as a pitcher can be by the Big 3 of the Dodgers lineup, as Shohei Ohtani (44th), Mookie Betts (14th), and Freddie Freeman (19th) went back-to-back-to-back to make it 3-0 in a flash.

Unfortunately, Dodgers starter Gavin Stone didn’t exactly fare a ton better. Corbin Carroll began their side of things with an inside-of-the-park homer off the center-field wall.

An infield single and a single to center followed, which put runners on second and third after Max Muncy boxed a throw to third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. looked to have hit a sac fly to left next, but Teoscar Hernandez misjudged the ball and it fell for a game-tying, two-run “double” to make it 3-3.

After a groundout moved him over to third and a walk was issued, a Eugenio Suarez sac fly gave the D-backs at 4-3 lead to end in the 1st.

Take a breather, right? Wrong.

Back-to-back singles from Muncy and Miguel Rojas was followed by a Kevin Kiermaier bunt, and Kelly tried to get the lead runner at third but threw wide of the bag and everybody was safe. With the bags juiced with nobody out, Shohei hit a sac fly to tie the game up, and they eventually regained the lead with a Freddie single to make it 5-4.

In a minor miracle, Stone then got a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, but a towering Gurriel homer in the 3rd tied the game again at 5-5.

To his credit, Stone finished by getting the last eight batters of the game, at which point he was surprisingly removed despite a limited pen. Guess they don’t want to risk it?

Anyway, really he should’ve only given up three runs if it wasn’t for that Teoscar play: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 84 Pitches.

Stone did end up exiting with the lead, because after they stranded a two-out walk and double in the 3rd, they rallied again with two-outs in the 5th. A Gavin Lux double was followed by a Muncy single, giving the Dodgers a 6-5 advantage.

After getting just one out in the 6th, Kelly was removed and the pen took over. They retired three in a row into the 7th when that was broken up by a Teoscar double, and then back-to-back walks to Will Smith and Lux loaded the bases with just one down.

A controversial decision followed as Dave Roberts hit for Muncy with Enrique Hernandez, which made some sense on paper but backfired when Enrique struck out on three pitches and a fly out ended the threat.

Eventually that missed chance proved important in the game.

Taking over out of the pen for the Dodgers was Brent Honeywell Jr. in the 6th, giving up a walk and wild pitch but getting through that inning. However, in the 7th a lead-off walk was sacrificed to second, and then a wild pitch moved him to third. That led to a tied game when Carroll hit a sac fly to tie things at 6-6.

In the 8th, the Dodger bats couldn’t capitalize on a pair of singles and a steal, and then somewhat hilariously, it was Ben Casparius making his MLB debut in the bottom of the frame. Despite a hell of a situation, he entered and pounded the zone, getting three flyouts and getting 10 strikes on 12 pitches.

Meanwhile, the 9th started with back-to-back singles from Smith and Lux, who both then advanced to scoring position on an Enrique sac bunt. After an incredible play prevented Rojas from being a hero, it was Edman who came through with the two-run single to make it 8-6.

To close things out was then Evan Phillips in the 9th, who they didn’t want to use, but they knew they had to get this game. He got a foul out, groundout, and to flyout make it easy for the victory.

Big one.

======

NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers82-54
Diamondbacks76-60 (6 GB)
Padres77-61 (6 GB)

A Sunday game means an earlier game, this time at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET on … uh, Roku? I dunno. Anyway, it’ll likely be Justin Wrobleski getting the call against Brandon Pfaadt.

About Chad Moriyama

Avatar photo
"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2014-2023 | Dodgers Digest | All Rights Reserved