The Dodgers crawled out of a mostly self-dug hole to finally win a game and avoid a series sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers dodged a bullet when Justin Turner was hit in the hand by a pitch in the first inning. He left the game in the second, but his x-rays came back negative. He’s now listed as day-to-day.
The Dodgers later pushed Chris Taylor over to score the first run of the game. They scored again in the third behind a small two out rally that was assisted by an error that brought Cody Bellinger home. The Dodgers were up 2-0 going into the bottom of the third.
After holding the Phillies scoreless for the opening two innings, Kenta Maeda gave up a double and a home run to tie the score in he third, and that was it for his day on the mound. Luis Avilan came in and threw a scoreless fourth. He was replaced by Josh Fields in the fifth. Fields immediately got himself in trouble with two base runners before recording his first out. Fields then erased those Phillies on the bases when he gave up a two-run double to put Philadelphia up 4-2 after five.
In the topif the sixth Curtis Granderson went down south and smashed a low pitch into the bleachers for a solo home run to bring the Dodgers within one. It was his second round tripper of the series.
Yasmani Grandal followed that up with a double that just missed being a homer by inches, but Logan Foutsythe left him on second with a weak fly ball to end the inning.
We got the pleasure of seeing another Walker Bueler audition in the sixth. His fastball was buzzing in at 98-99 mph, but he did walk one and allow him to steal by mostly forgetting he had a baserunner. On the other hand, he struck out two with his wicked fireball.
Andre Ethier led off the seventh with a solo HR to tie the game at four apiece and further his case for more playing time.
Chris Taylor followed that with a triple high off the R-CF wall. Taylor is so fast, I thought he might have a chance for an inside-the-park home run. He was arriving at third just as the ball got to the infield (on the ground). But with no out, there was no reason to gamble.
Regardless, tie game with a man on third and no out. Cody Bellinger knocked in Taylor with an infield bouncer. The Dodgers led 5-4.
Brandon Morrow took the mound in the seventh, and right away he upped the drama factor by allowing the first Phillie he faced to get on. He got his bearings straight and finished a scoreless inning with a pair of Ks. Just six outs to go.
With two on and two out in the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez came in to PH. He walked to load the bases for Chris “Standing Triple” Taylor. He chopped one to third for the final out.
With six outs to go, next up was Tony Cingrani. He got two out, walked a man, and the skipper went to Kenley Jansen for the four-outter. Jansen started things off with a strike out to end the inning.
Philadelphia made things interesting with a lead off single in the ninth, but Kenley got a double play and an infield ground out to complete the save and hold off the sweep.
Dodgers win 5-4, and they drop their magic number to one. Let’s hope they can give Tommy Lasorda the NL West flag for a birthday present tomorrow night.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Quite cardiac but we won!
Three innings from Maeda yikes!
Over 30 pitches in the first inning. The Ump was awful…
Ethier needs to be in the postseason roster. Hope Taylor has found a second wind and getting back his stroke. Bellinger seems to be ok and not tired from the grind. I am very worried about Corey and Turner.
Puig and Forsythe have been steady as a rock, except one good one bad.
Turner left with a contusion to his thumb, Corey was feeling better, but Roberts wanted him off his feet today.
We can exhale………for one day……Ethier cementing his case for post season roster.
Michael
Starting politics again?
More news today on the Russian ties to the Dotard!
You were conned!
Scott have this guy take down his political picture!
This is the second time today be brought up politics!
That is Charlie Daniels who just happens to be my hero. I was not conned. You do not know me and you are not in on my thought process. I could care less what you and all the typical libtards say. I make up my own mind. You were all taken in by Hillary and her lies. As far as Charlie, My gravitar is my choice, just because he happens to dislike our former president as much as I do is none of your business. Besides, you would need a damn magnifying glass to read what it says on there. You believe what you believe and I believe what I believe. So just worry about your own political views and do not worry about mine. No way you or any other Hillary lover could change my mind anyway. What photo I use for my gravitar is none of your damn business.
And that Hillary comment was in a baseball context and you are the one who brought politics into it and it was not today, it was yesterday……mind your own damn business.
Are you talking about Michael MJ?
Hi – let’s stay with baseball. We’ve got some new posters and this team has some problems !
She is chirping about my Gravitar. There was nothing political in either of my posts. She brought it up a couple threads ago, and I happen to disagree with her. Yes, this team has some huge problems, and they are having them at exactly the wrong time.
It was announced today that Maeda starting role has ended and he will be sent to the bullpen for relief work during the playoffs. Exactly what I thought they should do. Glad to see this. It is looking more and more likely that the SP’s will be:
Kershaw
Yu
Wood
Hill
I figured that would happen especially after such a lack luster performance against the Phillies. Wood will probably be in there, but Ryu might be in that mix simply because he is sort of a bull dog out there.
Yes Ryu being a bulldog is a good description. That’s something you and MJ agree on! (And me!)
Bit Ryu instead of who? I don’t think FAZ would drop Hill from the rotation. So if Ryu does make a start it would be in place of Wood which is hard to believe. But it could happen. I guess it depends on what the spreadsheet says.
Long man out of the pen most likely along with Maeda. They both did that before they returned to the rotation, or he might even replace Wood in there and then Wood would be in the pen like he was to begin the season.
If Wood would be open to throwing multiple innings in 2-3 games, then I could see Ryu start a potential game 4.
Wood will do what the team asks him to do just like he did out of spring training.
Michael
You are the one that started the politics yesterday, when you made a snide remark, about Hillary!
And after starting the politics, you conveniently had to post this picture!
And this picture makes a reference, that Obama doesn’t love America!
That is inappropriate on a baseball blog!
This is just another example of what some people tried to do, to try to say Obamba’s presidency, wasn’t legitimate!
And that is probably because some people think only a white man, should be president!
And Trump was one of the biggest guys that tried to do this to Obama.
Trump kept on saying on TV, that he had proof, that Obama was not born American.
But like with anything with that guy, it was just a big lie, he has never brought any such proof!
MJ, I am sorry if you think my comment about Hillary was snide. What it was, was a joke. She blew it pure and simple the same way the Dodgers were blowing games. Now if your skin is that thin, you are the one with a problem not me. You are also referring that I am a racist because I did not and do not like Obama. It had nothing to do with his color. It had to do with his politics and the way he ran the country. You might have liked it, but I did not. I did not so much as vote for Trump, I voted AGAINST Hillary, and not because she is a woman. I voted against her because I do not like her politics. I do not like her as a person, and I personally think she should be in jail for Lying to the FBI. If you or I did that, we would have been in the slammer so fast it would make your head spin. I made a joke about Hillary in a baseball context, If you do not like that, well it is too damn bad. As For Charlie Daniels picture, Nobody on this site or anywhere else can tell me who or what I can post as a gravitar. As for the text in the photo, you must have damn good eyes because it is way to small for me to see. I happen to agree with what Charlie said, and he is more American than Obummer will ever be. Obama is the worst thing to ever happen to this country and I do not care if he was born here or not. His presidency was a joke. He gave our sworn enemy over 400 million dollars. He brokered a nuclear pact with Iran that does nothing to keep them from having nuclear weapons. And there was more racial tension because he did nothing when all those riots broke out. And never ever call me a racist or even imply that I disliked the man because of his color. You do not have that right. I never implied Obama was not born here, and to tell the truth, who cares? You just hate Trump and spout things without any proof. Hillary and the DNC rigged some primary’s so Bernie could not get delegates. She is a liar and a member of a corrupt family. Anyone else in office over her is an improvement. She was beaten because no one likes her or trusts her. If Scott wants to ban me over that photo he is more than welcome to.
Michael
Mueller has plenty of proof, and he is getting more and more proof, everyday.
But this is a baseball blog, and most on here, don’t want to be reminded of how badly are country is divided right now, because of the guy at top!
And by the way, who in the hell are you to say that making a joke about Hillary is inappropriate? You are the only one bitching. No one else even mentioned it. Get over yourself…..you are worse than a wife. And by the way, who I make remarks about is none of your damn business. I hate the bitch.
I comment here less and less, mostly because the ten-year old political savants
of all ages just can’t shut up., and the mods haven’t the spine to require they
adhere to the basic rules: this is a blog for casually informed baseball fans,
not woefully informed political ones.
The worst offender, and a classic Trump marriage of arrogance and ignorance,
is Norris.
Thanks for the continuing education in self-absorption, and fifth-rate commentary…
I agree about the politics talk needing to stop. I just haven’t had the time to police and moderate these boards.
Let’s turn a new age please, literally!
YF
Sorry!
You have no problem with me.
I rather talk about baseball, especially with everything that is happening in the news, today!
I think we all need that type of an escape.
How great is Rich Hill?
Just awesome.
PS: Is it lame to say I’ve never heard of Charlie Daniels?
PPS: I just saw Hamilton, it really is as good as reputed.
We did it!