Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Things looked bleak to start the second half, as the start of the series against the Red Sox was the opposite of how you’d like to see the team come out. They looked lifeless and Dave Roberts looked to be reconsidering his life choices, but all of a sudden the Dodgers got a bit of a rally started in the 8th and were then jolted completely alive with one grand swing from Freddie Freeman, which led to a 4-1 win.
======
Gavin Stone had to work around trouble from the start, stranding a lead-off double from Jarren Duran in the 1st, working around a single and steal in the 3rd, and a pair of infield singles to start the 4th. Amusingly then, the actual damage against him came with nobody on and two outs in the 5th, when Duran came up again and drilled a liner to center for a homer to make it 1-0 Red Sox.
After an infield single started the 6th, Stone (5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 80 Pitches) was removed for Anthony Banda, who got a couple strikeouts within the three batters he sat down in a row to end the frame.
If you’re wondering where the offensive updates are … well, there wasn’t anything to say. Nick Pivetta and the Red Sox pen not only limited runs but also chances, as the Dodgers only got a half chance in the 3rd on a walk and wild pitch with one out, and then a one-out double in the 4th, but that was mostly it through seven.
Speaking of that inning, Alex Vesia was next in the 7th, and things started with Miguel Vargas and Andy Pages getting confused in the outfield for a comical “double”.
No matter, as Vesia struck out the next three batters and punctuated it with his trademark emotion.
Ryan Yarbrough took over in the 8th and faced the minimum, as Vargas got a double play on a fly ball that the runner was going on.
Vargas then rolled that momentum into the next inning, drawing a walk, then Shohei Ohtani flared a double down the line in left. For whatever reason, they walked Will Smith intentionally to load things up, which led to a dramatic Freeman grand slam (15th) to put the Dodgers in front 4-1.
FREDDIE GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/uvS5cSXtj7
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 20, 2024
Daniel Hudson then entered in the 9th, suddenly with a comfortable lead, and managed a scoreless frame to end it. He allowed a single but followed with a strikeout and double play.
======
| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 57-41 |
| Diamondbacks | 50-48 (7 GB) |
Tomorrow’s game will be the second of the series and is on FOX at 1:15 PM HT/4:15 PM PT/7:15 PM ET. It’ll be rookie Justin Wrobleski making his third start and facing Brayan Bello.
