Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After the late mess yesterday for the Dodgers and the late mess the game before that for the Padres, today’s game was relatively sane. The Dodgers jumped out to a big lead early and then rode their Big Hoss to a comfortable 8-2 victory.
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Old friend and fan favorite and personal favorite Rich Hill made his Padres debut this afternoon and made sure he stayed beloved.
After lightly hitting Freddie Freeman with a pitch, Amed Rosario stepped up and joined the Two-Out Dodgers by hitting an oppo taco for his fifth of the year to make it 2-0.
I love him already. pic.twitter.com/gylaRNavAW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2023
The assault continued in the 2nd, as a lead-off single from Enrique Hernandez and a one-out single from Miguel Rojas cornered the runners, and an Austin Barnes sacrifice led to a run. That took a while because Enrique was ruled out at home initially but later was ruled safe on a blocking rule to make it 3-0.
Yeah, I figure this has to be called if setting over the plate is while the runner is rounding third is a violation. pic.twitter.com/edsuy0oT7c
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2023
That was important because after a ground out, there were still only two down, and that led to a masterful at-bat from Freddie that put him at 23 homers and the Dodgers up 6-0.
Mookie Betts brushing that dirt off Freddie Freeman's shoulder. pic.twitter.com/ZwgtjgkFx9
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 6, 2023
After the Dodgers stranded a hit-by-pitch, steal, and walk in the 3rd, Hill was removed at 77 pitches.
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Thankfully, the Dodgers trade acquisition was just the kind of guy you want on the mound with a big lead and innings to eat. Lance Lynn started by carving through the first seven batters, then he did that homer thing again, as Gary Sanchez hit a ball to the moon to make it 6-1.
Gary Sánchez crushes one to get San Diego on the board pic.twitter.com/wcBbnth6fH
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 7, 2023
Lance Lynn seemingly explaining that Gary Sanchez almost hit it over the Western Metal Supply building. pic.twitter.com/sqa87r1oKl
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 7, 2023
Lynn worked around a single and walk to follow that, did the same with a walk and single in the 4th, avoided damage on a single in the 5th, and got a clean inning in the 6th to end his outing.
Lynn’s outings can always be a bit scary because with runners on the threat of a homer is always there, but apart from that he certainly looks very good and at the very least can eat innings.
6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 96 Pitches
On one hand, the problem with the homers is they usually eventually come with runners on. On the other hand, Lynn looks great aside from the solo homers.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 7, 2023
Taking over for Lynn was Ryan Brasier in the 7th, and he didn’t have a great outing today. He gave up a homer to Jake Cronenworth to start, which made it 6-2, and almost gave up Sanchez’s second that hopped against the wall for a double. Thankfully he didn’t surrender anything more.
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Meanwhile the Dodgers were kept quiet by Pedro Avila. They did put traffic on with a walk and double in the 4th, a double in the 5th, and two singles and a steal in the 6th, but weren’t able to come up with insurance.
After a clean 7th and two outs in the 8th, things didn’t look great on that front, but Mookie stepped up and knocked his 30th of the year out of the park and Avila out of the game to make it 7-2.
Mookie, thank you. pic.twitter.com/2CLCk3mbHP
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 7, 2023
The Dodgers were then able to tack on more in the 9th, as a David Peralta single, Chris Taylor walk, and Enrique double plated a run and made it 8-2.
Enrique Hernandez drives in a run with his second double and third hit of the game. pic.twitter.com/6PPGtaeAhm
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 7, 2023
Thankfully, Brasier’s outing was more of a fluke that anything indicative that more struggles were on the way. Brusdar Graterol got the 8th on just six pitches, and Yency Almonte entered with a bigger lead than yesterday and managed to give up just a single in the 9th.
Nice.
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| NL WEST | RECORD |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | 64-46 |
| Giants | 61-51 (4 GB) |
*Either still playing or will play later.
Adios to the Diamondbacks.
The series finale will be a few hours earlier at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET with Tony Gonsolin facing off against Seth Lugo.
