Dodgers 11, D-backs 6: A 17-hit attack delivers a season series victory

Chad Moriyama 09/02/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

(Via @Dodgers)

After a blowout loss yesterday that snapped their winning streak, the Dodgers went for a potentially important series win today against the Diamondbacks. While not necessarily pivotal in the immediate NL West standings, it would hand them effectively another half-game advantage via winning the season series, which is used as a tiebreaker.

Things were actually quiet for two innings this time around, which qualifies as a minor miracle, but the Dodgers took the lead in the 3rd and never looked back, really piling it on late with eight runs in the 7th and 8th frames, totaling 17 hits in an 11-6 victory.

They take this series 3-1 and the season series 7-6.

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Almost old friend Eduardo Rodriguez started the game off by working around a single, walk, and a bloop double thanks to a double play erasing the single, and he then got a clean 2nd. However, the 3rd started with a Chris Taylor double off the wall in center, and a Mookie Betts single scored him for the game’s first run.

That quickly ballooned to three runs when Freddie Freeman smacked his 20th dinger to make it 3-0.

Despite that, they still did continue some issues with RISP this series, as a triple to center with one out was left stranded to end the 3rd. Miguel Rojas then tried to manufacture a run himself, bunting for a single to start the 4th, and advancing to second and then third on flyouts. A walk and stolen base led to a pair in scoring position, but nothing came from that either.

They did make Rodriguez throw 92 pitches in just those four frames, which knocked him out at that point.

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As all that was going on Jack Flaherty was looking sharp, having a single erased on a double play in the 1st and then striking out the side in the 2nd.

The 3rd looked like a potential big inning for the D-backs as well behind a lead-off double and walk, but after a sac bunt, Flaherty gave up just a run on a pair of groundouts.

He then gave up just a two-out single in both the 4th and 5th, but seemed to run out of gas in the 6th. After a single to start, he got a strikeout and then Will Smith uncorked a seed to second that got him a second out.

But Flaherty then walked back-to-back batters, and Dave Roberts turned to Alex Vesia, who got a strikeout to escape trouble.

That certainly helped Flaherty’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 96 Pitches.

So things were tight at that point thanks to Jordan Montgomery relieving Rodriguez and facing the minimum in two frames as a single in the 5th was thrown out trying to advance on a ball in the dirt.

Thankfully that didn’t last in the 7th, as Shohei Ohtani singled with one out and then stole second and third base on consecutive pitches. That made it three steals on the game for him, putting him at 46.

That led to Mookie being put on intentionally, and Freddie cashed in Ohtani’s speed display with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 4-1.

That didn’t kill the rally, as Teoscar Hernandez then singled off the shin of Montgomery, which gave him an ugly welt and knocked him out.

Teoscar then stole second to put a pair in scoring position, which Dills cashed in with a single to push the lead to 6-1.

The D-backs did come right back a bit in the bottom of the same 7th. Ryan Brasier started by allowing a pair of singles to corner the runners before a sac fly made it 6-2. Anthony Banda was then summoned, but the runners were re-cornered after a single, and it was 6-3 after a groundout. Drama mounted when Banda missed the bag covering first for an infield single and the tying run came to the plate, but he got an out to escape disaster.

Things looked alright for the D-backs to start the 8th, as Slade Cecconi got two quick outs, but that only set the stage for the Dodgers. A Taylor single, Ohtani walk, and Mookie double drove in a pair. After a wild pitch, Freddie won an 11-pitch at-bat with his 21st homer, his second of the game.

The nightmare continued for Cecconi, as a Teoscar infield single and Dills check-swing single was followed by a Tommy Edman single made it 11-3 and knocked Cecconi out.

Nothing else, but … well, nothing more was needed.

Closing the game out was Michael Petersen in the 8th, giving up a solo homer in his inning to make it 11-4, before Brent Honeywell Jr. finished things off in the 9th, but not before giving up two runs to make it 11-6.

Not an ideal way to close, but a win is a win.

——

Ohtani making history.

Broadcast fun.

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NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers83-55
Padres78-61 (5.5 GB)*
Diamondbacks77-61 (6 GB)

*Still playing.

Tomorrow the Dodgers will visit Anaheim for a short two-gamer against the Angels, starting at 3:38 PM HT/6:38 PM PT/9:38 PM ET. It’ll be Walker Buehler looking to build on the command he showed in his last year, and he’ll face off against Reid Detmers making his first start in three months.

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