Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers and Rockies are playing the first game of the last home series of the season, and things got off on the right foot at least with a comfortable 12-5 victory after a shaky beginning.
The Dodgers have now won seven of their last 10.
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Clayton Kershaw got off to a terrible start, which is sorta a thing with him now. In the 1st, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon went back-to-back to make it 2-0 early. Then in the 2nd he allowed three singles and a stolen base, but managed to escape with just one run surrendered and a 3-0 deficit.
#DodgersTwitter was predictably doom and gloom at that point even though it is entirely meaningless, but the team fought back a bit in their half of the 2nd. Cody Bellinger doubled to start, Corey Seager singled to put runners at the corners, and Chris Taylor plated a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
Kershaw unfortunately gave it back in the 4th to … Garrett Hampson?! Yes, Garrett Hampson. Somehow he donged and made it 4-1.
Still, after a rough start, he did settle down to make it through six frames on 99 pitches. Kershaw struck out five, giving up the four runs on eight hits and a walk. So clearly he didn’t have his best today, but he still kept the Dodgers in it.
That proved pivotal since the Dodgers exploded in a seven-run 4th inning. Seager started the festivities with a solo dong to right, his 17th of the year.
Decent.
Taylor was then hit by a pitch around the same wrist/forearm area as before but seemed to get through it unscathed. Gavin Lux then walked and both runners advanced on an error via an attempted pick-off. Will Smith followed by cracking what should’ve been a double down the line if not for a diving Arenado, and instead settled for an RBI infield single to make it 4-3. Kershaw then sacrificed to move both runners over for the first out of the inning and Enrique Hernandez tied it at 4-4 with a single to left. They then immediately took the lead after Max Muncy followed with a single of his own for a 5-4 advantage.
A.J. Pollock then turned the tables completely by stepping up and drilling a three-run shot (15) to center to double the Rockies output on the night at 8-4.
Kenta Maeda entered in relief of Kershaw in the 7th, getting a strike out, walking a batter, and then inducing a double play to face the minimum in the inning.
While the Rockies went a bit cold, the Dodgers bats continued the onslaught in their half of the 7th. A CT3 double and a Lux single added a run, Justin Turner (welcome back!) walked, Enrique singled to plate another, and Muncy doubled to score two more to make it a cool dozen runs.
Later Bellinger just missed a homer and Matt Beaty looked mad depressed.
Not to worry Matt, the Dodgers still made history.
Dylan Floro got the 8th, notching a strikeout in his inning of work but also giving up a solo dong to make it 12-5. Caleb Ferguson closed things out in the 9th, giving up a double but striking out two in his scoreless inning to end it.
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All that said, the most important thing is that Kershaw had two sacrifice bunts tonight, leaping into the lead with 14 on the year over Maeda. Hyun-Jin Ryu still has a chance as he sits at 12 on the year. Thrilling stuff.
