Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
What looked like a potential messy series in Colorado for the Dodgers rookie pitchers has instead led to all of them emerging with career highs in strikeouts and cementing their position on the playoff roster. Today it resulted in an 8-2 victory over the Rockies, as the bats had plenty of time to find insurance runs.
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Gonna be honest here, my focus is less on the outcome of the game and more on just getting out of Coors Field healthy, so yeah.
Anyway, after six outs in a row to start, James Outman started the scoring by leading off the 3rd with his 23rd homer of the year.
Can't stop James. pic.twitter.com/I6bvv2Kth6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 28, 2023
Unfortunately, despite an excellent start to the game, Emmet Sheehan gave that back immediately in the bottom half of the inning, surrendering a no-doubter that tied things up at 1-1.
Things remained tied until the 5th, when an Outman bunt single started a rally. David Peralta followed by doubling him home for the lead, a Miguel Rojas single cornered the runners, and a Mookie Betts single made it 3-1.
Freddie Freeman then got hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Will Smith hit a sac fly to the warning track in center that advanced all the runners and made it 4-1. Despite a walk to Max Muncy reloading things, the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize further.
Meanwhile, Sheehan was excellent, as aside from another solo homer in the 6th that made it 4-2, he didn’t face many troubles the rest of the way. He got ahead of batters and all his pitches were working, as he set a career high in strikeouts with 10 without walking anybody.
Seems ready for the playoffs: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 10 K, 84 Pitches.
Emmet Sheehan sets a career high with 10 strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/kfbJPDw5e0
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 28, 2023
Nasty stuff in an impossible environment for the rookies.
Yes, good. pic.twitter.com/BnwEjjbkIt
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 28, 2023
Anyway, the Dodgers took a while to tack on anything, relying on a two-out rally in the 8th from a Peralta double and Rojas single of all things to make it 5-2.
A Mookie walk followed to put a pair on, and then Freddie stepped up and drilled a three-run homer (28th) to basically end the game at 8-2.
New pitcher? No problem. Freddie hits the first pitch he sees as the Two-Out Dodgers continue to thrive. pic.twitter.com/9yK3aKkcxO
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 28, 2023
Taking over for Sheehan was Brusdar Graterol in the 7th, who got an easy 10-pitch frame that included a punch out. Ryan Brasier then got the 8th, who only gave up a single off … well, himself. Thankfully, he was fine and things rolled on.
Due to the lead, I guess, it was Alex Vesia in the 9th to close things out. Despite a lead-off double, he didn’t end up surrendering any runs to keep the final score the same and save my recap.
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Freddie did something cool.
Freddie Freeman gets hit on the back of the leg and catches the ball. pic.twitter.com/ylKLraIptS
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 28, 2023
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Due to the Braves winning, the Dodgers are locked into the #2 seed in the NL side of the playoff bracket. No more tables! They will play the winner of NL Wild Card between the Brewers and whoever the #3 Wild Card team is (currently the Marlins).
The series will conclude tomorrow at 2:40 PM HT/5:40 PM PT/8:40 PM ET with … uh, I think Ryan Yarbrough against Chris Flexen.
