Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers were on the verge of having an actual three-game losing streak and losing a series, but instead they rallied late and walked the Diamondbacks off in a surprising 3-2 victory that also gave them the series win.
Looked sluggish this series and still made it six series wins in a row.
======
After retiring the first six hitters of the game, Julio Urias was greeted by a single to lead-off the 3rd. That wouldn’t have been a big problem in itself, but a routine grounder from the next batter saw Gavin Lux throw the ball away trying to get the lead runner instead of just settling for the out.
That made it runners at second and third with nobody out, and while Urias rebounded with another groundout that advanced nobody, he then issued a walk to load the bases. A sacrifice fly followed to plate the game’s first run on what could’ve easily been the third out.
On the other end was Zac Gallen, who is having a breakout year and has been especially hot of late. He started the game by retiring the first 11 Dodgers in a row, but Will Smith blooped a ball to left that dropped in and resulted in a triple after Stone Garrett tried to make a diving catch but missed entirely. The Dodgers took advantage of the chance when Max Muncy followed by ripping a double down the line in right to tie things up at 1-1.
Gallen settled in and got through eight by retiring the last 13 Dodger batters he faced.
Welp.
——
After allowing the run in the 3rd, Julio didn’t allow anything else, but he did get some help. After surrendering a lead-off double in the 6th, he got a lineout and was then relieved.
5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 89 Pitches
Evan Phillips entered to keep the game tied and did exactly that, striking out back-to-back hitters with that nasty slider.
The 7th belonged to Alex Vesia, and he really did own it, striking out the side on just 11 pitches. Fresh off the IL, Brusdar Graterol took the ball in the 8th and continued the run of pen dominance, getting a two grounders and a strikeout for his own 1-2-3 frame.
Craig Kimbrel then got the 9th and continued his recent run of struggling a bit. He had a questionable HBP charged against him that was then (correctly) erased on a stolen base attempt, but that relief was short lived as Christian Walker bombed a homer to dead center for a 2-1 lead.
Kimbrel also gave up a walk and a stolen base but got out of the frame without further mess.
To close things out was old friend Reyes Moronta, but he ran things to 3-2 against Cody Bellinger, who promptly doubled off the top of the wall in right to start things off. After a groundout, Moronta fell behind Freddie Freeman in the count 2-0 and then issued an intentional walk, but Will grounded deep into the shortstop hole for an infield single to load things up.
That led to Joe Mantiply being summoned, and he got ahead in the count 1-2, but Muncy tapped one to third and got an infield single out of it that tied the game at 2-2.
After a strikeout, things looked like they might head into extras, but Mookie Betts came off the bench and drilled a single to left for a walk-off win.
Easy does it.
Hit it, Randy!
======
104-46 on the year.
| TEAM | CHASE | GAMES |
|---|---|---|
| Astros | MLB | 5.5 Up |
| Mets | NL | 9.5 Up |
| Clinched | NL West | Doesn’t Matter |
With that marathon of a series over, the Dodgers will now welcome in the Cardinals at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET with Albert Pujols chasing 700 on Apple TV+. Andrew Heaney will take the ball looking to make his case for postseason playing time against Jose Quintana.
