Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The winners of seven in a row started a seven-game road trip today in Miami, and it was a tight one for the most part, as Blake Snell was dueling with Ryan Gusto. Snell exited with the slimmest of leads, but that was before Kyle Tucker crushed a grand slam to blow things open late for the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, Josue De Paula looked comfortable in his debut (his complete day at the end of this post), and they won it for him by a 6-2 score over the Marlins. That’s eight in a row and also 90 wins.
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Aside from a couple of disaster starts, Ryan Gusto has been pretty good as a starter this year for the Marlins,
He started by stranding a one-out walk and two-out single in the 1st, and worked around a two-out single in the 2nd, but the traffic paid off in the 3rd. A lead-off walk from Tommy Edman was followed by a Max Muncy single, and back-to-back productive flyouts from Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker scored Edman to make it 1-0 Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker with a sac fly to start the scoring. pic.twitter.com/ywwOnaO58O
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 11, 2026
The 4th saw Josue De Paula reach for the first time in his MLB career via a one-out walk (much more on his day at the end of this post), but the inning ended when he was caught stealing in a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play when he overslid the bag on review.
Gusto then retired the Dodgers in order in the 5th, but Kyle Tucker tripled off the wall with one-out in the 6th and was immediately scored when Will Smith blooped a single to right. 2-0 Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker squares a ball for a triple off the wall and Will Smith bloops one to score him. pic.twitter.com/bUdjKKVZzx
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 12, 2026
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It was Blake Snell on the bump for the Dodgers tonight, and despite complaining about not being as efficient as he wants, he carried a sub-1 ERA in five starts since returning from the IL into this one.
He began by facing the minimum in the 1st despite a one-out single thanks to a Will Smith seed down to second for a caught stealing.
Will Smith seed to end the inning. pic.twitter.com/NW3Azxv8cS
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 11, 2026
Trouble arose in the 2nd via a one-out walk and then single, but nothing came of that threat, and he worked around a two-out infield single in the 3rd. Still in search of a clean inning, a two-out walk in the 4th prevented him from doing so, but he finally got one in the 5th.
Still, Snell’s pitch count was getting up there in the 6th, and Dave Roberts came to get him after a two-out single. Still not efficient, but definitely effective: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 101 Pitches.
Blake Snell struck out 8 over 5.2 innings, being charged with just a run that he didn't allow score. pic.twitter.com/6swFWDU6GK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 12, 2026
Unfortunately, as you can see, he had a run added to his ledger as a steal of second was followed by Agustin Ramirez winning a 10-pitch battle against Evan Phillips with a double to make it 2-1 Dodgers.
After an intentional walk, Phillips got a strikeout to mercifully end the threat.
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Taking over for Gusto and the Marlins in the 7th was Victor Vodnik, who started well with two quick outs. However, he then issued a four-pitch walk to Tommy Edman, Max Muncy reached on a well-placed infield single, and Mookie Betts also drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases.
Lefty Cade Gibson then entered to throw breaking balls to Kyle Tucker, but Tucker turned around a sweeper to right, hitting a missile over the wall for a grand slam to make it 6-1 Dodgers just like that.
After two quick outs in the 7th, the bases were loaded for Kyle Tucker and he killed another ball to right for a GRAND SLAM. pic.twitter.com/Bucpe5uyCs
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 12, 2026
IS IT HAPPENING?
I HOPE IT’S HAPPENING!
Dax Fulton took over in the 8th, getting a clean 8th and then allowed just a two-out single in the 9th.
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To secure the win for the Dodgers, Brock Stewart started in the 7th, giving up a pair of two-out infield singles but stopping it there. Blake Treinen took over in the 8th, giving up a lead-off triple that came home on an Owen Caissie sac fly to make it 6-2 Dodgers. However, the bleeding was stopped there.
To finish things was Edgardo Henriquez in the 9th, who gave up a soft single with one out and a groundball single with two outs, but that was it.
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A Josue De Paula recap corner, as he went 0-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut.
Here’s every pitch he faced at the plate:
Blake Snell bought the bats time, and Kyle Tucker's 3-for-3 day was capped by a grand slam as he hopefully has turned the corner. That's 8 in a row and 90 wins.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 12, 2026
Also, here's every pitch from Josue De Paula's debut plate appearances. https://t.co/o1Fp1SH9EW pic.twitter.com/sH94IvEREi
And here he is seemingly stealing second but getting ruled out on review due to his hand coming off the bag and his foot not getting there:
JDP had second stolen but as his hand came off the bag, his leg was on the tag. pic.twitter.com/EQ4af2TopK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 12, 2026
He looked … very comfortable.
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| NL Seeding | Record | GB |
| Brewers | 91-56* | – |
| Dodgers | 90-57 | 1.0 |
| Braves | 86-61* | 5.0 |
The series will continue tomorrow a few hours earlier for the weekend at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET. It’ll be Tyler Glasnow looking to find more control than last time out, and he’ll be up against Tyler Phillips.
