Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After dropping the series opener of their road trip to the Cardinals last night, the Dodgers sure looked like they were on their way to another loss after getting down 6-0 early on. But the Boys In Blue rallied for seven unanswered runs, including a dramatic 9th-inning winner in a 7-6 victory.
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All-Star Tony Gonsolin had one of his worst starts of the year and his career tonight, giving up a season and career high five runs. Not much to say, as Gonsolin wasn’t sharp and his unsustainable RISP brilliance took regression hits, but nothing specifically worrisome.
His ERA has now ballooned to 2.02 on the year: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 96 Pitches.
Alex Vesia took over for Gonsolin in the 6th, giving up a pair of singles, a walk, and a run to make things 6-0. But the pen was better from there, as Caleb Ferguson entered in the 7th and got a clean frame. He was followed surprisingly by Craig Kimbrel in the 8th, who proved he could pitch out of the closer’s role by getting a clean inning himself.
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Things were quiet on the other end because Adam Wainwright is like 50 now but just figures out a way to get guys out, especially against the Dodgers. While they did make him work to the tune of 114 pitches, he got 5.1 scoreless frames.
The Cardinals pen then got four outs, but with two outs in the 7th, Freddie Freeman singled and Will Smith followed by smashing his 14th homer of the year to make things a bit interesting at 6-2.
The Dodgers then rallied again in the 8th, starting with a Cody Bellinger single and Max Muncy‘s fourth walk of the game. After a lineout, Dave Roberts made another iffy move by pinch-hitting Hanser Alberto for Gavin Lux due to handedness, and Hanser struck out. However, the two outs didn’t hold them back, as Mookie Betts doubled Bellinger home and Trea Turner singled to drive in both Muncy and Mookie to make it 6-5.
After a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position, Freddie walked to make him 12 of his last 14 with three doubles, two homers, a walk, and a HBP. However, the Dodgers couldn’t push the tying run across in the 8th.
The 9th started promisingly with Justin Turner leading things off with a double, who was pinch-run for by Austin Barnes. Bellinger then singled softly that seemed to tie the game, but Barnes literally tripped over third and barely made it back.
This sport is unreal, honestly.
Muncy then came up and unloaded on a ball foul to right and got behind 0-2, but then worked the count back to 3-2, eventually hitting a sacrifice fly to center that Barnes didn’t fall on to tie the game.
After an out that put the Cards on the brink of escaping, Hanser came up huge with a single to make it 7-6 and get Dave off the hook for putting him in to begin with.
— Hannah (@heyimhannahlee) July 14, 2022
When you’re loved in the clubhouse.
That left it up to Evan Phillips to try for his first save as a Dodger, and he did just that on just seven pitches, including a strikeout to end it.
Wow, man.
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— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 14, 2022
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The Dodgers improve to 57-30 on the year and are temporarily 8 games up on the Padres in the NL West.
The series finale will be played at 1:15 PM HT/4:15 PM PT/7:15 PM ET with Tyler Anderson facing off against Dakota Hudson.
