Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After a blowout yesterday, the Dodgers continued their dominance of the Diamondbacks today in a mostly decisive but suddenly close at the end 6-4 win.
After surprisingly dropping a series at the start of the year to the D-backs, the Dodgers have now won six in a row against them.
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Old enemy Madison Bumgarner started and was thankfully gotten to early tonight. After being able to escape the 1st despite a single and stolen base, the Dodgers put up a crooked number in the 2nd behind a Justin Turner walk, Hanser Alberto single, and then back-to-back jacks. First came a three-run shot from Edwin Rios, his sixth, and then one from Mookie Betts, his NL-leading 13th dinger.
After a clean 3rd, Chris Taylor led off the 4th with a triple but then got picked off of all things, allowing MadBum to face the minimum again.
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On the other end, Ryan Pepiot got the spot start (or perhaps more) tonight and arguably had his best start so far. He still had many of the same problems as before, but was able to showcase his stuff more.
Pepiot got out of the 1st after hitting the first batter of the game, and did the same in the 2nd after walking two. However, he rebounded by facing the minimum in the 3rd despite a bunt single thanks to a double play, and then got a clean 4th frame. However, the 5th proved problematic, as singles bookended a strikeout, and another walk loaded the bases and spelled the end of his night.
4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 84 Pitches
Brusdar Graterol was the man who inherited the bases loaded jam, somewhat surprisingly as he would face two lefties to start. However, his cutter has helped him deal with them better, and he induced a sacrifice fly (one where Cody Bellinger and CT3 almost collided) and then a groundout to escape disaster.
While Graterol allowed a double in the 6th, the inning ended up scoreless and he put in quality work.
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The Dodgers got that run right back, though. After a clean 5th, MadBum seemed to be settling in, but Trea Turner bombed his fourth homer of the season to lead off the 6th, and Bum had to labor to get through the inning.
The Dodgers then tacked on further in the 7th off the D-backs pen, starting a rally with a Rios walk and then a rather hilarious error by Pavin Smith on a routine fly ball from Mookie.
A Trea single then scored Rios to push the lead to 6-1, but that ended up being all the offense got the rest of the way.
The 7th was then handed to Alex Vesia, who I thought would’ve got the two lefties a couple innings earlier. He wasn’t as sharp as we’ve become accustomed to, allowing a run to score on a single, wild pitch, and single from Josh Rojas to make it 6-2. Another single then created some real trouble, but he rebounded with a strikeout of Dodger killer Christian Walker to end the threat.
The 8th was unintentionally eventful, as Daniel Hudson hit two batters in the inning, but a double play helped him avoid any real strife.
That setup Craig Kimbrel in a non-save situation for the 9th and he struggled. After a lead-off single and a walk, Rojas struck again with a double to make it 6-3 and bring the tying run to the plate. Fortunately, he ended up getting serious from there, inducing an infield pop, a groundball for an out that plated a run, and another grounder to end it.
6-4.
Phew.
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Big hat.
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The Dodgers are now 31-14 on the year, a 112-win pace, and hold a 2.5-game NL West lead over the Padres.
Tomorrow the two teams play again on FOX at 1:15 PM HT/4:15 PM PT/7:15 PM ET with Tony Gonsolin facing Merrill Kelly.
