Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After back-to-back losses to start the four-game series down in Miami, the Dodgers made it three in a row with another close loss to the Marlins filled with mistakes. 9-6.
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Dueling pen games is not what you think of when you imagine ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball, but that’s what they ended up getting. Reliever Jake Reed got the start for the Dodgers the day after making his MLB debut. After getting two outs in the 1st, he gave up a towering homer to Garrett Cooper to stake the Marlins to a 1-0 lead. Newly recalled Mitch White continued where he left off last time he was up, giving up a no-doubt homer to Jesus Sanchez in the 2nd to double the Marlins lead at 2-0.
Marlins starter Ross Detwiler started by getting the first six batters he faced, but got a crooked number put on him in the 3rd. AJ Pollock greeted him with a lead-off homer to left, after which he rebounded with two strikeouts. However, Mookie Betts then stepped up and lined a ball just over the wall in left to tie the game. After an Albert Pujols single, Max Muncy dribbled one against the shift for another single, and Justin Turner took advantage by smashing a three-run homer for a 5-2 lead.
421 feet for AJ! pic.twitter.com/12telSyLbi
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 7, 2021
Mookie for the tie? Betts believe it. pic.twitter.com/JhP25sfWjq
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 8, 2021
After a double and a walk, Detwiler was removed from the game for Jordan Holloway, who finally got out of the 3rd. Holloway then effectively completely shut down the lineup for the next four innings, facing only minor trouble in the 6th after a double but keeping the Dodgers scoreless.
White continued for the Dodgers as the bulk guy in the 3rd, surrendering a one-out single and a two-out walk, then having Jesus Aguilar lining a ball down into the corner in left for a double. That scored one run to make it 5-3, but a runner ended up getting thrown out at home on a nice relay. After a clean 4th, White was greeted in the 5th by a Jon Berti chopper and a Gavin Lux error, who continues his inconsistent play at shortstop. With one out, Berti stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, then promptly scored on a Jazz Chisholm ground out to cut the lead to one at 5-4.
Phil Bickford got the 6th and struck out two, but also gave up Cooper’s second homer of the game to tie things up at 5-5. He got an out in the 7th as well before issuing a walk and being relieved by Joe Kelly, who notched back-to-back strikeouts. Kelly got his third strikeout in a row to begin the 8th, but then gave up a single to the red-hot Cooper. That brought on Kenley Jansen, who was greeted by a Austin Barnes catcher’s interference, which is becoming a worryingly common theme.
After a delayed steal of third to put the game in real danger, Kenley rebounded with a infield pop, but then missed location with a cutter to Sanchez and paid for it with a single to left to make it 6-5 to the Marlins. After a walk loaded the bases, Jansen finally got out of the inning with a strikeout.
Holloway did a ton of work to set things up, and that brought out the leverage relievers for the Marlins. Anthony Bass took over in the 8th, working around a single to keep a scoreless frame. Anthony Bender then tried to close things out, and he did end up striking out the side, but not before Zach McKinstry smashed a game-tying homer to right, the first homer Bender has surrendered in his career.
Edwin Uceta then continued to struggle in the majors. He gave up a lead-off single, then rebounded by making a great play on a sac bunt and getting a strikeout after an intentional walk. However, he did what he has done too much this season and made a mistake to Aguilar, who smashed a three-run walk-off homer to end it.
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53-34 on the year.
Another ungodly start time at 6:10 AM HST/9:10 AM PST/12:10 PM EST, with Julio Urias facing Sandy Alcantara.
