Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers entered this series with the Cubs having not lost their last nine series, and after their 4-3 victory today, that streak could be 10 in a few hours. Why? Mainly because despite the hitting woes with runners in scoring position, Kyle Farmer is a golden god.
——
Things got off to a great start, as Joc Pederson smashed Tyler Chatwood‘s second pitch of the game into the basket in right for a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as despite claims that Kenta Maeda is healthy, he sure as hell didn’t look it. Kenta labored over 74 pitches, walking five batters and allowing five hits. He was lucky to surrender only three runs and was removed with two outs in the 4th inning.
Of course, it didn’t help that the umpire calling balls and strikes was just having a horrific day. I realize complaining about this and using strike zone accounts is generally silly, but today it gives an accurate representation of things. Like the walk that loaded the bases and resulted in two runs should’ve been a strikeout.
Call hurts #Dodgers
Ball 4 should be strike 3
Bot 2 Maeda vs Gimenez
28% call same
1.4in from edge pic.twitter.com/fGK0jPjIxH— Dodgers Strike Zone (@DodgersUmp) June 19, 2018
In the 5th, things finally boiled over with the zone when Matt Kemp was rung up to end the inning.
Call hurts #Dodgers
Strike 3 should be ball 3
Top 5 Chatwood vs Kemp
22% call same
1.6in from edge pic.twitter.com/uVvtKKqdMM— Dodgers Strike Zone (@DodgersUmp) June 19, 2018
Kemp got run for arguing this call, and Dave Roberts followed for defending his player. It was just a terrible zone, honestly.
In the 6th, the Dodgers cut into the lead thanks to a gift from the Cubs. With one out, Chris Taylor tripled down the line in left, and Yasiel Puig followed with a seemingly harmless pop-up behind second. Well thanks to the harsh sun, that fell between three players and got the score to 3-2.
The pen continued to get results, despite the start they had under Adam Liberatore in the 4th when he allowed a single to score one of Maeda’s runs before getting out of the inning. In fact, Liberatore threw 22 pitches and only got one out, as he walked the first two batters of the 5th as well. Luckily, Daniel Hudson was on his game and two strikeouts in the frame led to a scoreless inning.
Scott Alexander then got the 6th, also with two strikeouts, as he had one of his good command days. Alexander then got the first two outs of the 7th before being relieved by Yimi Garcia, who notched a strikeout to retire the side. Yimi also started the 8th, and after getting a strikeout to start he ran into trouble after a single, a double, and an intentional walk to load the bases. However, he then got a infield fly to give them a chance to escape trouble before being removed for Edward Paredes, who got a line out to the track to end the frame. That would prove key.
The Dodgers were still down a run entering the 9th because the offense couldn’t do much. They stranded runners in scoring position in seven innings today, going a combined 1-for-13 in the situation. Hard to win like that. And yet, with an Austin Barnes walk and a Justin Turner single, the Dodgers were in business in the 9th yet again. Things looked bleak after a borderline called strike on Yasmani Grandal led to him being ejected after arguing, and since Kemp was ejected as well, it all came down to Farmer.
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1009174181630447616
Correction, Matt Kemp is a genius for getting ejected.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 19, 2018
Yeah, down to the last strike, Farmer doubled down the line in left for a 4-3 lead.
Honestly, what the hell? What a miserably played game by the Dodgers and yet they still won.
Wow.
——
The Dodgers improve to 38-33 with the win and 18-14 on the road, as well as 1.5 games back of the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
In a few hours at 2:05 PM HST/5:05 PM PST/8:05 PM EST, the Dodgers will look to take the series against the Cubs, sending Rich Hill back to the mound fresh off his blister issue against Mike Montgomery.
