Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
In what’s a familiar story for the Dodgers at this point, they played sloppy defense that cost them a ton of runs, wasted some gifted chances from the opposing pitcher, and the bullpen shit the bed in a 10-7 loss to the Twins.
Maybe just trade for their whole pen?
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Things started somewhat well for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as he struck out two while retiring the order in the 1st, but he got behind every hitter and thus took 17 pitches to do so. That seemed to be an indication of things to come, as he labored through 36 pitches in the 2nd by constantly getting into deep counts. The inning started with an infield single and walk, then after a flyout cornered the runners, he induced a potential double-play ball from Royce Lewis to Miguel Rojas, but instead everybody was safe on an error.
After Yamamoto rebounded with a strikeout, which is what definitely should’ve got him out of the inning, he then hung a split to Christian Vazquez (.508 OPS) of all people, who pummeled a double to score two unearned runs to put the Twins up 3-0.
Vazqy brought a few home!! ? pic.twitter.com/lnZvu7pReO
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 23, 2025
But credit to him, he did settle in after that. An infield single followed to corner things again in the 2nd, but he escaped that jam, got a clean 3rd, and then faced just a single each in the 4th and 5th inning, managing to get the Dodgers some length.
Wasn’t sharp, but he could’ve exited with the lead and maybe still have been pitching if one play goes differently: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 8 K, 101 Pitches.
Yamamoto didn't really have it, but things could've been a lot different if not for one play.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) July 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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Early on, the Dodger offense wasn’t providing Yamamoto with much help despite being gifted chances. After a clean 1st, a single and walk started the 2nd but was effectively killed by a double play. There were also two walks in the 3rd, but between those was a lined double play to kill that chance as well.
Finally, in the 4th, a pair of walks to Will Smith and Freddie Freeman were cashed in when Andy Pages hit a three-run homer to tie the game at 3-3.
ANDY TIES IT WITH ONE SWING! pic.twitter.com/bJ8ZNDjLZh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 23, 2025
The rally ended there in that inning, and they went down quietly in the 5th as well.
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Unfortunately, things unraveled at that point, as Ben Casparius entered in the 6th and couldn’t throw strikes. He issued a lead-off walk, gave up a double, then issued another walk to load the bases. He followed that with another walk to force the go-ahead run in, and then promptly exited with a right ankle issue or something.
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Update: A cramp, apparently, and hopefully that’s all.
Ben Casparius left the game with a right calf cramp.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 23, 2025
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Relieving him was Alexis Diaz, making his Dodger debut. He started by exchanging an out for a run on a great play by Rojas to make it 5-3, then gave up a single to Vazquez (lol) to score another and make it 6-3. He then got a strikeout and flyout to end it, so it could’ve been worse, I guess.
Vazqy is having a GR8 night! pic.twitter.com/LeMWhgR4kh
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 23, 2025
Sigh.
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The bats did get the Dodgers back in it, as the 6th started with a Smith infield single, and after two outs it was Michael Conforto doubling to put a pair in scoring position. Hyeseong Kim cashed that in to plate them both and cut the deficit to 6-5.
Hyeseong clutch! pic.twitter.com/Xhexayho0d
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 23, 2025
He also stole second afterward, but was stranded there.
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Didn’t matter much, as Will Klein entered for the 7th, got a strikeout and promptly loaded the bases with three consecutive walks. Just pathetic stuff tonight.
And so Edgardo Henriquez was summoned for his season debut, who continued the embarrassment by getting a comebacker and then throwing it into right field to score all three runs to make it 9-5.
TWINS CAPITALIZE!!! pic.twitter.com/ep86Y9KH2i
— Twins.TV (@twinstv) July 23, 2025
He rebounded with a strikeout and flyout to end the inning at least. He also continued in the 8th and got a seven-pitch inning.
Jack Dreyer finished things in the 9th, giving up a run on back-to-back doubles to make it 10-5, but stopping things there.
The Twins have put up 10 runs at Dodger Stadium ? pic.twitter.com/RWWbnKPQxd
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2025
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The offense had a minor chance in the 7th with a HBP and then got a walk and single to start the 8th, but both were stranded.
In the 9th, a single was eventually cashed in by Shohei Ohtani‘s 36th homer of the year on a 100 MPH splitter to make it 10-7.
Shohei Ohtani homers in 4 straight games for the first time in his career! pic.twitter.com/JLKA7euC2p
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2025
That was it, though.
K.
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| NL West | Record | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | 59-43 | – |
| Padres | 55-46 | 3.5 |
| Giants | 53-49 | 6.0 |
The series finale will be on MLB Network at the earlier time of 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET, and it’ll be Tyler Glasnow looking to continue his sharpness after returning from injury against Chris Paddack.
