Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After what seemed like a devastating split against the Cardinals because of what the Giants did, the Dodgers returned home to Chavez Ravine to play division rival Padres and thankfully started the series out right with a 3-0 win.
Julio Urias shoved to continue his breakout season, and Max Muncy provided all the offense they needed with an early two-run shot.
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Urias entered today’s game getting 7.31 runs of support per start, which makes him the only person to make the Dodgers offense score consistently this season. But of course, his role is to pitch and he continued doing that effectively.
He actually only had two 1-2-3 frames, but only faced two at-bats with runners in scoring position, one in the 1st after a walk and an infield single, and one in the 6th after a double. The biggest threat he faced was a Manny Machado fly ball to left-center with one on in the 5th, driving Chris Taylor back to the wall and forcing him into a great catch.
Urias was impressive, not only pitching a shutout, but tying for the deepest start of the year for him: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB (2 HBP), 7 K, 94 Pitches.
With the lineup of the Dodgers struggling mightily, they didn’t need to face Padres starter Joe Musgrove, who is having his career-best season. However, it’s who they got, and they ended up acquitting themselves decently.
In his first at-bat, Muncy just missed a ball and hit it to the wall in right where Fernando Tatis Jr. robbed him with a jumping catch. Tatis let the fans know about it, but Max got it right against Musgrove the second time around, destroying a ball into the pavilion in the 3rd to make it 2-0 early.
In the 4th, Will Smith led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Taylor got him in with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
The offense still wasn’t exactly clicking, but they just missed out on a potential big inning against Musgrove in the 6th when a Gavin Lux line shot with two on was snagged at first base.
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Pierce Johnson relieved Musgrove in the 7th with the perfect inning and Austin Adams followed with one of his own in the 8th to close the book on the Dodgers.
Taking over for Urias was Blake Treinen, who got two quick outs and then allowed a single against the shift and a late-swing single to corner the runners. After a stolen base of second, Treinen bounced back to get about six strikes against Wil Myers.
Kenley Jansen strolled out for the save in the 9th, cruising with a pop bunt, pop out to right, a single through the shift, and then a ground out.
He also intentionally balked again.
He wants his credit!
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The Dodgers improve to 89-53 on the year and keep pace with the Giants to say 2.5 games back in the NL West.
The teams do it again tomorrow at 3:10 PM HT/6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET with Walker Buehler facing Chris Paddack.
