Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Eric Lauer certainly got a welcome to the Dodgers, getting a massive boon of run support in his debut as the bats homered five times. That included two from Mookie Betts in his debut at cleanup, and the absolutely rolled to a 15-6 victory over the Rockies to take the series.
That’s four in a row and 11-2 in the last 13.
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Making his Dodgers debut was Eric Lauer, basically trying to prove his utility to the team before their injured starters return, and he ended up doing his job and then some.
After striking out a pair in a clean 1st, Hunter Goodman got hit with a solo shot to start the 2nd.
GOODY ? pic.twitter.com/ffI0pS9W32
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 27, 2026
He faced just three batters the rest of the inning thanks to a single being erased by Kyle Tucker in a bad decision to try and stretch it. Lauer got into a bit of a jam in the 3rd after a one-out walk and infield single, but that was taken care of by a lineout to Andy Pages, who doubled the runner off second.
He cruised after that, as a baserunner only reached via an error in the 4th, nothing happened in the 5th, and he worked around a lead-off single in the 6th.
Eric Lauer goes six strong in his Dodger debut, giving up just a run. pic.twitter.com/rwzwL0JvmZ
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
Not only great for a spot start of sorts, but just great in general: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 96 Pitches.
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Long-time opponent Kyle Freeland was on the bump for the Rockies, and he did not have a good time.
The Dodgers started the scoring with two outs, as a Freddie Freeman single was followed by Mookie Betts slugging his fifth dong of the year to dead center for a 2-1 lead.
HELLO, MOOKIE! pic.twitter.com/TQa30D1iMn
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
After a quiet 2nd, the 3rd began with Enrique Hernandez‘s first homer of the year and then two batters later Andy Pages’ 12th homer of the year to make it 4-1 Dodgers.
KIKÉ'S BACK, TELL A FRIEND. pic.twitter.com/Hgd5xulK20
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
"Pages to the Pavilion!" pic.twitter.com/736S2bl2nz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
They then piled on in the 4th, as Miguel Rojas started the rally with a one-out single, Enrique followed with a double, Shohei Ohtani then got hit by a pitch on the hand, Freeland uncorked a wild pitch to score Miggy, then Andy doubled to plate two more. After Pages then stole third, Freddie hit a sac fly to make it four runs and 8-1 Dodgers.
Moriyama Special, followed by a Pages double, followed by a sac fly plate four more and blows it open. pic.twitter.com/SQ7pUvvMo6
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
That was a dramatic inning for a bunch of reasons, as Ohtani got hit and made funny faces, Enrique more seriously hurt his oblique and exited, and Troy Johnston in left … well, he tried.
Comic book character, mfer, lol. pic.twitter.com/Ln7IDZyrGN
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
Kiké Hernández left tonight’s game with a left oblique strain.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
More from a clearly disappointed Kiké: “Frustrating to say the least. Not just because I missed time, but me coming back got somebody off the roster … and I was only able to give the team four bats.”
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) May 27, 2026
Team should know the extent of the oblique strain tomorrow. #Dodgers https://t.co/NAvdobs5An
Anyway, they continued to add in the 5th against reliever Zach Agnos, as Teoscar Hernandez singled with one out, Will Smith got hit by a breaking ball, and Rojas doubled to score Teoscar. Hyeseong Kim then came up for the first time and hit a sac fly to score another and make it 10-1.
A Miggy double and Kim sac fly make it 10. pic.twitter.com/kFqATMHl4V
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
Things got worse in the 6th, as Pages led-off with a double, Freddie walked, and Mookie got a multi-homer game with his sixth of the year to make it 13-1.
MOOKIE AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/mR1rOdwHOe
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
Tucker followed that with a single, then with one down Smith broke out of his slump with his fifth homer to make it 15-1.
No. 16 makes it 15 runs! pic.twitter.com/ziolodPzfO
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2026
To close the book on the Dodgers, Welinton Herrera got a scoreless 7th, and catcher Brett Sullivan came on for a scoreless 8th.
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For the Dodgers pen, Jonathan Hernandez took over in the 7th, issuing a lead-off walk but nothing else. He then got a perfect 8th, but wasn’t left in for the save, as the 9th went to Miggy. It was a bit of a mess as he gave up a homer to the pitcher/catcher Sullivan to make it 15-2, and then later gave up a three-run homer to Kyle Karros to make it 15-5.
Eventually and mercifully the game ended at 15-6.
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Eric Karros was on one.
"Big ahh … big pillow." https://t.co/AKJDN0IgtC pic.twitter.com/3S2TEZETR9
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
Great stuff, lol. pic.twitter.com/02smf1vyNp
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 27, 2026
The Dalton Rushing engagement bait will continue until morale improves.
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35-20, that is very good.
The series concludes tomorrow at the same time of 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with a matchup of Japanese starters in Shohei Ohtani and Tomoyuki Sugano. About the same level between them, surely.
