Dodgers 7, D-backs 0: A clean sweep behind Freddie, Heyward, Muncy, Pepiot, and Yarbrough

Chad Moriyama 08/30/2023 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Punctuating this series against the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers dogwalked them in a 7-0 shutout victory. Ryan Pepiot looked sharp and Ryan Yarbrough saved the pen while keeping that zero on the board, while the offense did all the necessary damage in the 3rd and 4th frames.

That’s now four wins in a row for the Dodgers, and they continue to play their best baseball of the year.

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Let’s start today with some Pepiot appreciation, as he has been nothing but effective and impressive since returning from the IL this month.

He was rolling early tonight as well, as he gave up just a single and hit a batter in his first three innings. Pepiot faced just one hitter with a RISP during that time, as that hit batter stole second with two outs. In the 4th, though, things got more difficult for him due to a lead-off double, but he got a pair of groundouts to put him on the verge, issued a walk, and then bounced back with another groundout to work out of trouble.

The 5th was a lot simpler for him as he got another clean inning, and punctuated his outing with a strikeout.

Since returning, Pepiot has 14 strikeouts and just two walks. Most importantly, he looks like he’s pitching better, just having far less balls out of hand: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 84 Pitches.

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Of course, he was able to cruise because the Dodgers got a bunch of runs for him against Brandon Pfaadt. It looked like they had three in the 1st after a Mookie Betts single and Max Muncy walk was followed by a deep fly to right from Jason Heyward, but it was robbed at the wall by Corbin Carroll.

After a lead-off walk in the 2nd, he then struck out the side, but the 3rd is when the mess started. Another hit from Mookie on an infield single was followed by Freddie Freeman smashing his 25th dinger of the year to make it 2-0.

After David Peralta reached on a fielding error, Heyward stepped up again and would not be denied this time, making sure he got his 13th homer of the year over the wall to double the lead to 4-0.

The 4th led to even more runs, as Austin Barnes singled, Freeman doubled, and with two outs Muncy extended his extra-base hit streak to eight with a double to make it 6-0.

That was the end of the road for Pfaadt and the start of things for the D-backs pen. Though said pen loaded the bases in the 5th, they didn’t allow a run. But the lead grew in the 6th, as Chris Taylor singled, stole second, and then scored on a Muncy “single” to push things to 7-0.

The Dodgers went down in order in the 7th and 8th after line changes, but that was obviously not an issue.

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Meanwhile, in relief of Pepiot was Yarbrough, who cruised through a 1-2-3 frame in the 6th and worked around a pair of singles in the 7th with back-to-back strikeouts. He continued on in the 8th, getting another couple of groundouts and a foul out to keep the train rolling along.

They then let him go for the four-inning save in the 9th, and after two outs he gave up a single and a double to threaten the shutout. Thankfully, he got a groundout to end it and I didn’t have to change my recap.

At least Eric has to change his podcast name.

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NLRECORD
Braves87-45
Dodgers83-49 (4 GB)
NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers83-49
Giants69-64 (14.5 GB)

*Either still playing or will play later.

In a series I’m sure nobody will overreact to, the Dodgers welcome in the Braves for a four-game series at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET, with a pushed back Lance Lynn facing Spencer Strider.

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