Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After the bats got back on the track yesterday, the series was split and the Dodgers had to play a rubber match for the series against the Padres.
In a neck-and-neck game that went to extra innings, the only thing that mattered was a potential injury, but the Dodgers still pulled out a close 6-4 victory.
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Kenta Maeda looked like the bad side of him showed up permanently in the 1st. He surrendered two runs behind two walks, a wild pitch, a single, and a sacrifice fly, and he seemed sorta lucky to get out of it with just that.
Funny thing, he gave up just a double and a walk in his subsequent four innings, ending his night surrendering just two runs in five frames. He walked three but gave up just the two hits and struck out three in a rather nice outing.
The offense also helped him in support … or he helped himself. In the 2nd, Cody Bellinger walked and Chris Taylor followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Bellinger then scored on a Corey Seager ground out to cut the lead in half. Enrique Hernandez and Russell Martin both walked to follow, which loaded the bases for Kenta, and all he did was come through with a two-run single to give the Dodgers the 3-2 lead.
The bats stranded runners in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 8th, but also scored in the 8th behind Seager starting things with a double and Hernandez driving him in with a single to make it 4-2.
Taking over for Maeda, the middle relief of the pen generally excelled. Joe Kelly got the 6th, walking a batter but notching a strikeout and getting a scoreless inning. Yimi Garcia was tasked with the 7th against the bottom of the order, hitting a batter but getting two outs that included a K. Adam Kolarek was then brought in to serve his LOOGY role and he did it masterfully, notching a strikeout to end it.
Pedro Baez continued in his setup role, getting a strikeout in the 8th but also allowing a solo dong to Eric Hosmer to cut the lead to 4-3. That cut into any room for mistake that Kenley Jansen had in the 9th. It cost them immediately as a pop fly double (70.9 mph exit velocity) to left from Francisco Mejia bounced off Taylor’s glove. Then a fly out advanced him to third and while Ty France was batting, Kenley overthrew a cutter to the backstop and Mejia scampered home to tie the game at 4-4.
He got out of it from there, but boy … this is not great.
But the Dodgers came back in the 10th with a two-out rally. Enrique walked and stole second, then scored on Martin’s hot shot that Luis Urias stopped but then sailed into the dugout for the lead.
After a Will Smith check-swing single, A.J. Pollock followed with a single back up the middle to make it 6-4.
That brought on Casey Sadler for the save. While he gave up a single, he also got two strikeouts and an infield pop to secure the save.
Destiny.
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The main thing that matters is that Max Muncy was hit in the wrist in the 5th and had to exit the game. It certainly didn’t look (or sound) great at the time and concern was justified.
Thankfully it sounds like he was okay.
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The Dodgers improve to 88-47 on the year.
The Dodgers will travel to Arizona for a four-game series against the Diamondbacks next. It starts at 3:40 PM HST/6:40 PM PST/9:40 PM EST with Hyun-Jin Ryu facing Merrill Kelly.
