Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After a frustrating loss to start this series, things at least got off a pleasant start behind the Shohei Ohtani and Decoy bobblehead night.
The first gold bobblehead goes to Shohei and Decoy. ? pic.twitter.com/lpziRN9d8X
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 28, 2024
Decoy first pitch is the only thing that matters now. pic.twitter.com/NKvOA1teha
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
Ohtani then started the scoring with a homer, but both sides had error-filled games that made for quite a mess. However, the most impactful blow was Teoscar Hernandez‘s three-run homer in the 5th that gave the Dodgers the lead for good in a 6-4 victory over the Orioles.
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Facing off against Orioles ace Corbin Burnes, Ohtani commemorated the bobblehead night by starting the game off with his 42nd dinger of the year to make it 1-0 early.
THERE GOES DECOY'S DAD. pic.twitter.com/uNNgHI30sP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2024
How does that swing result in a ball going almost 400 feet? We may never know.
On the other end, a struggling Walker Buehler started for the Dodgers and begun by looking sharp. A clean 1st with two strikeouts made for a promising start, but after getting an out in the 2nd, an error by Max Muncy led to a runner on second.
A completely bizarre play followed, where Buehler struck out Cedric Mullins in a curve in the dirt, and Will Smith thought he caught it on the fly or that it was a foul tip and just didn’t throw to first, leading to Mullins reaching.
I dunno what the fuck this was. Not even close to being caught on the fly. pic.twitter.com/yeo6yDDehS
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
Of course, that cost them as it was followed by a two-run double and a single that plated another run to make it 3-1 Orioles before Buehler was barely able to escape the 2nd without even worse damage. He also had to throw an extra 14 pitches in the inning because of those lapses. Pathetic shit.
Regardless, the Dodgers managed to fight back against Burnes in the 3rd thanks to the Orioles having a defensive lapse of their own. With one out, Enrique Hernandez reached on an error, which led to back-to-back singles from Ohtani and Mookie Betts to plate a run.
Here's Mookie's single that kept the inning alive and cut the deficit to one. pic.twitter.com/WaaLKC4nRW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
After those two then got a double steal to both move into scoring position, Teoscar came up big again with a no-doubt three-run homer to left that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead in a flash.
O my, Teoscar! pic.twitter.com/gvoV3cFHjl
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2024
Despite getting screwed by the defense early, Buehler settled in for a bit, getting scoreless frames in the 3rd and 4th (with help from better defense).
Gavin Lux takes away a hit with a diving stop. pic.twitter.com/bRO3UoDSIj
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
He then started the 5th with a pair of outs, but issued a walk on a questionable check-swing call that easily could’ve been a strikeout. Naturally a double followed to knock Buehler out of the game and cut the lead to 5-4.
Buehler looked great today and could’ve easily gone through this game scoreless with better defense and luck: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 90 Pitches.
Walker Buehler's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/DwDd82nGLV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 29, 2024
Anthony Banda entered to prevent further damage and he got the final out of the 5th for Buehler.
The offense then came right back in the bottom of the inning, as an Enrique single and Ohtani groundout led to thing changing places on first. Ohtani then stole second and advanced to third on an error as the ball bounded away and was dropped, and he then scored on a Lux grounder that went for a Gunnar Henderson error to make it 6-4 at the end of the 5th.
Gavin's grounder results in a run. pic.twitter.com/DAz0l21Gc7
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
Banda continued for the Dodgers in the 6th, giving up just a single in the scoreless frame. Ryan Brasier was next up in the 7th, giving up a lead-off single before getting two outs and handing things over to Alex Vesia, who got a fly out to close that inning. It was then Evan Phillips in the 8th, continuing his dominant August after a hiccup last time out, getting a clean frame with two strikeouts.
While the offense got into the Orioles pen starting in the 6th, it was of no use as they again couldn’t push across any insurance. Thus it was still a two-run lead for Michael Kopech in the 9th, but that wasn’t a problem because he continued to be dominant with a pair of strikeouts and an infield pop to end it.
Michael Kopech continues his dominant run, striking out two and getting an infield pop. pic.twitter.com/4s53bl11LP
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
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Shohei’s reactions and celebrations are elite as well.
Don't even care about the homer, Shohei's reaction to Teoscar almost killing him is primo, lmao. pic.twitter.com/39melq7sZ5
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
Hm… pic.twitter.com/uzyUVq8VEn
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 29, 2024
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 79-54 |
| Diamondbacks | 76-57 (3 GB) |
| Padres | 76-59 (4 GB) |
*Currently playing.
The series finale will be played at the same time tomorrow of 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET, and it’ll be Bobby Miller looking to build on his last outing against Cade Povich.
