Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After sweeping a mini-series against the Twins in April, the two teams got together again tonight, now with the Twins in first place in the AL Central. No matter to the Dodgers though, who are first place in … uh, the MLB.
The Dodgers rolled 10-3, getting ahead early and never looking back. They’ve now won nine in a row and 12 of their last 13 games.
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The latest victim of the Dodgers lineup is Twins starter Joe Ryan. While it looked like he might settle in during the 1st after two quick outs, the Dodgers struck quickly behind a Freddie Freeman walk and a Will Smith double into the right-center field gap for a 1-0 lead.
Surprisingly, the lead didn’t last long, though not a ton due to Julio Urias‘ doing. After a 1-2-3 frame in the 1st, he gave up a one-out triple off the wall in left-center due a carom that Cody Bellinger probably could’ve played better. Then Gilberto Celestino dribbled one in front of home for a single to tie the game, 1-1.
No matter, the Dodgers got it right back in the 2nd. A one-out single from Gavin Lux was followed by a double down the line right from Joey Gallo, and then Bellinger had a double of his own in the same area to drive them both in. Later on even Cody was scored thanks to a Trea Turner bloop double that made it 4-1.
They didn’t relent in the 3rd either as Max Muncy sure seems back, hitting his 12th dong of the year for a 5-1 lead.
Hell, they didn’t even let up in the 4th, as a one-out Mookie Betts single led to a stolen base that saw him end up on third after a throwing error, and he was scored by a Trea grounder for a 6-1 lead.
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But it’s Urias that’s really highlighted now, emerging as more than a top of the rotation option, pitching more like an ace. He bounced back from a frustrating and unlucky infield dribbler that scored a run to retire 17 of the last 20 batters he faced, scattering three singles across three different innings.
Urias hasn’t walked a batter in four of his last five starts, and in those starts has a 1.09 ERA while going at least six frames each time out. He’s seen his ERA fall to 2.49 in that time: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K, 90 Pitches.
Meanwhile the bats didn’t score for, uh, two innings and solved that against the Twins pen in the 7th. Back-to-back singles from Freddie and Will were cashed in by a suddenly hot Muncy, who doubled down the line in right on a quality pitch for two more runs and a 8-1 lead.
In relief, Dave Roberts went with Phil Bickford in the 8th and he continued his rather mediocre season, giving up an infield single and then a towering homer to Byron Buxton to make it 8-3.
Not that it mattered with the lead they had, but the Dodgers got it right back anyway behind doubles from Trayce Thompson and then Trea for their eighth one of the night. Smith then singled for another run to get both of them back and make it 10-3.
Closing the game was Caleb Ferguson, who ran his scoreless streak up to 16.2 innings by striking out the side.
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76-33 on the year, which is a 113-win pace.
| Team | Chase | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Mets | MLB | 5 Up |
| Mets | NL | 5 Up |
| Padres | NL West | 16 Up |
The series concludes tomorrow already with the Dodgers going for a mini-sweep and a season sweep at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET. The starter is unknown for the Dodgers right now but is expected to be Ryan Pepiot against Sonny Gray.
