Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After getting behind early, the Dodgers stormed back with authority in the middle innings, putting up double digit runs to take the series over the Padres in a 11-2 blowout victory.
The Dodgers have now won their last three series and four of their last five games. They have also clinched a playoff spot, though obviously that’s far from their goal.
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Andrew Heaney came into this game having given up a whopping 10 homers in his last four starts. While he didn’t manage to avoid the dinger today, against a relatively hot Padres lineup he managed to turn in a quality start.
That homer came in the 2nd from Jake Cronenworth for the game’s first run, thankfully a solo shot. Another run was then added in the 3rd, though in a much more odd way. A lead-off double was advanced on a lineout, and a grounder right at Freddie Freeman would’ve kept the runner at third but he just got handcuffed by it and his error made it 2-0.
Fortunately, that was all he gave up on the relatively short day: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 6 K, 74 Pitches.
Despite being down for most of the game, Heaney actually ended up leaving with the lead thanks to the Dodgers getting to Joe Musgrove in the middle of the game.
Through four innings, the lineup managed just two Freddie singles and one of those was erased by a double play. Musgrove was rolling, to say the least, but he ran into the damage the Dodgers lineup can do in a hurry in the 5th behind solo homers from Justin Turner (12) and then Chris Taylor (9) to tie the game.
That was not the end for Musgrove, whose day quickly turned into a nightmare. The 6th started with Mookie Betts doubling and then reaching third on a wild pitch. After an out, he walked Freddie intentionally, then hit Will Smith to load the bases, and Max Muncy took advantage with a single down the line in right for a 4-2 lead that knocked him out.
While the Padres pen managed to get out of the 6th, they imploded in the 7th. With one out, Cody Bellinger plopped in a single, Mookie doubled, and Trea Turner blooped in a single to score a run but didn’t advance Mookie due to a tough read. After an out that advanced both runners, the Padres walked Will intentionally this time, then unintentionally walked Muncy to force in a run.
That eventually ended in disaster when JT crushed his second homer of the game on the first pitch he saw for a grand slam for his 13th homer of the year and a 10-2 game.
To add on, Trea homered into the upper deck off position player Wil Myers in the 9th for his 20th to make it 11-2.
For the Dodgers, Alex Vesia was first out of the pen, getting a perfect frame in the 6th including two strikeouts. Chris Martin got a scoreless 7th, most notable for hitting Austin Nola in the dick and reaching for his hamstring, but he seemed alright.
Getting the 8th was Andre Jackson, who has struggled this year in the minors but looked quite sharp today, giving up just a couple singles in two innings while topping out at 97 mph to close things out.
Phew.
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CT3 shaved.
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The Dodgers improve to 96-43 on the year and 47-25 on the road.
| TEAM | CHASE | GAMES |
|---|---|---|
| Astros | MLB | 6.5 Up |
| Mets | NL | 8 Up |
| Padres | NL West | 20 Up |
The Dodgers will now head to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks at 3:40 PM HT/6:40 PM PT/9:40 PM ET with Tyler Anderson facing Merrill Kelly.
