Dodgers 9, Braves 0: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pulls off Houdini act, lineup explodes late yet again

Chad Moriyama 09/16/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

It was a grindy and tense game early, as both teams looked to scrap and claw for any runs they could. The Dodgers managed to be the ones to jump out in front, but their hold on it was tenuous as Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dodging bullets during his outing. Thankfully, another big late inning put the game on ice later on as the Dodgers were able to cruise to a series split with the Braves thanks to a 9-0 victory.

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Yamamoto allowed less runs than his last time out, but it was a different outing than that dominating showing was. Rather, this time he had to constantly work around trouble in every inning, and relied on his defense to help him get through it.

Things started in the 1st with a lead-off walk, steal, and throwing error that put a runner on third with one out, and then a lead-off double in the 2nd was advanced to third with one out as well, but Yamamoto managed to work around both scenarios.

The 3rd got off to a bang as a single and a double led to an out at the plate thanks to a Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez, and Will Smith relay. And Yamamoto then settled in with a pair of groundouts to end the threat.

Still, it looked like they’d get on the board in the 4th after a lead-off triple, but again Yamamoto buckled down to get a strikeout and then a pair of outs to Rojas at short to end his scoreless outing.

Not his dominant stuff, but he was pitching: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 72 Pitches.

As all that drama was going on Max Fried faced the minimum through two innings, but in the 3rd Miguel Rojas drew a walk, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch due to a great secondary lead. 1-0 Dodgers.

They then managed to finally add on in the 5th, as an Edman double led things off, Miguel fell over on a bloop single that scored a run, Max Muncy got hit to put a pair on, an out advanced Rojas to third, and Shohei Ohtani avoided a double play to allow Rojas to score and make it 3-0.

Fried still managed to get through six innings, because of course he did, but the 7th saw the return of the Braves pen and the eyes of the Dodgers lit up again.

Well, a lot of it was just taking pitches, really. After an initial out, Rojas, Muncy, and Gavin Lux drew walks to load the bases, then Shohei grounded to second, but Rojas beat the fielder’s choice to home and everybody was safe. Mookie Betts followed with a sac fly, and Teoscar Hernandez singled to make it 6-0.

Freddie Freeman then stepped up and sliced his 22nd homer of the year barely over the wall in left for a three-run shot to make it 9-0 and a six-run 7th inning.

Due to Yamamoto’s pitch count, the pen still had the majority of the game. Thankfully they were sharp, as Evan Phillips got a clean 5th, Blake Treinen cruised through an 11-pitch 6th, and while Daniel Hudson gave up a lead-off walk, he then got the next three for a scoreless 7th.

Brent Honeywell Jr. then did his job in the 8th and 9th by saving the leverage arms with a six-pitch 8th, and then bounced back from a walk with three groundouts to end the game.

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NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers89-61
Padres85-65 (4 GB)*
Diamondbacks83-66 (5.5 GB)*

*Still playing.

The Dodgers now take a trip down to Miami to play three against the Marlins, starting at 12:40 PM HT/3:40 PM PT/6:40 PM ET. It’ll be Bobby Miller looking for any signs of … anything against Darren McCaughan, who I have never heard of before.

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