Just when we thought the Dodgers were dead and buried. Left in the bone yard, they rose from the ashes like a Phoenix to surprise us. Speaking of Phoenix, this game had to stick in their crawl. The Dodgers (king of the solo shots) down 2-1 in the eighth inning clubbed two late inning home runs, a pinch-hit home run from Enrique Hernandez in the seventh and then another solo shot from Justin Turner in the bottom of the eighth to put the boys in blue ahead for good. Even better both of the home runs were hit off turncoat and former Dodger Zack Greinke. Kenley Jansen held the Dbacks scoreless in the top of the ninth (surviving a bit of a scare) and the Dodgers beat the Snakes 3-2 to pull back within a game of the National League West lead. What a show!
The game began terribly for the Dodgers as Korean southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu allowed an infield single to Steven Souza Jr. which preceded a monster two-run home run from Dodger killer Paul Goldschmidt. The big man was doing Goldschmidt things again. He was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. The Dbacks led early 2-0.
With the Dodgers trailing by two, the game turned into a classic pitching match-up between Ryu and Greinke. For all of our teasing, Greinke pitched pretty well. But Ryu nearly matched him. The Dodgers got on the board in the bottom of the third when Yasiel Puig flared one over Ketel Marte’s head and was sacrificed to second. Joc Pederson’s RBI single plated Puig to pull the Dodgers to within a run.
Dbacks 2 5 0
Dodgers 3 6 1
WP-Floro-5-3
LP-Greinke-13-9
HR-Goldschmidt-31-Hernandez-19-Turner-11
SV-Jansen-33
Both pitchers dueled until late in the Chavez Ravine evening. In the bottom of the seventh the Dodgers decided to pull Ryu with two outs and nobody on base. For the record that turned out to be the play of the game, as Enrique Hernandez smashed a pinch-hit opposite field home run off of a frustrated Greinke to tie the score.
In regards to Ryu, he was masterful. The left hander mixed his pitched beautifully, kept the Arizona batters off balance and induced weak contact. Ryu turned in seven innings, allowing just the two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. He didn’t walk anyone but was not able to get the win. As for Greinke, well that’s another story. There’s sure to be some second guessing on Tory Luvollo’s part. The Dbacks left him in after the Hernandez home run, and he batted for himself in the top of the eighth. Thankfully Dylan Floro was able to pitch out of a jam, stranding Marte at third. So when Greinke took the mound in the bottom of the eighth, I think we were all a bit surprised. Justin Turner our red ginger haired god greeted him with a lovely home run (his eleventh of the season) which put the Dodgers in the lead and sent Dodger Stadium into pandemonium. The Dodgers have life!
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1035747029475966978
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 1, 2018
Of course the end of the game was not without some drama. Kenley Jansen was called in to record the final three outs in the top of the ninth. After retiring Pollack, that damn man again Paul Goldschmidt blooped a double and all of a sudden the Snakes had the go-ahead run at the plate. Fortunately Kenley looked like the old Kenley striking out David Peralta, and getting Eduardo Escobar to ground out to end the game. Dodgers win! And what a win it was. With the series tied, the Dodgers can move into a first place tie on Saturday night. Patrick Corbin will battle Clayton Kershaw in a battle of aces. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM PST. Oh and David Freese is now a Dodger. Happy Friday guys!
The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired third baseman David Freese in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 1, 2018
Nice game. Let’s get the next two.
It seems David Freese also plays 1B. This makes a lot more sense than him being acquired as a 3Bman. He bats well against LH and RH pitchers and is a middle of the order hitter, #4 or #5 in the lineup where he is most productive. He is known as a clutch hitter with RISP. This could work out very well for the team. He is not a high profile player like Manny with huge HR and rbi stats. If he is as solid as his stats show, he can help the team. He’s probably a better fielder than Muncy and probably can PH as well. I think it is a good strategic move by the FO who have their eyes open in this crucial stretch for help. And I am still hoping they will bring up Verdugo and Toles for strengthening our OF.
I saw somewhere he has a $6 MM option for next year. Another tough decision for the FAZola….
Also heard Toles and Verdugo didn’t play for OKC last night, they were on a plane to LA…
I agree. He’s Muncy with more experience and better fielding.
Couple of things there Scott, it is craw, not crawl, that’s what you do when you are groveling with your wife. And Goldy’s HR was not a monster shot, it was down the right field line and was in maybe the 5th or 6th row. Turner’s blast was hit harder than Goldy’s. Looked like the same old Dodgers for a while there, but in the end a W is a W. They passed the Phillies in the wild card race, but are still back of the Cards and Brew crew, who got 3 more pieces in their quest to make the playoffs, so winning the division still seems like the best way to get there. Freese is expected to play 1st against LH pitching, so no more Kike over there. Do not expect Verdugo or Toles until OKC is finished with the playoffs. Unless the team decides they want them sooner. Most likely the pitchers will come first. Madson and Freese will be activated this weekend, Madson, today. Adios and good luck to Segedin and Liberatore. Most likely those two have seen their last days in Dodger uni’s. Segedin has been pretty much snake bit with injuries the last couple of years.
The AAA team has to beat another team in a series, and take 3 or 4 out of 4 or 5, and that was before yesterday’s game, which they lost.
I was about to note the craw/crawl misusage.
Well done, Michael.
I also don’t think anyone thought the Dodgers were “dead and buried” when they were a whopping two games out.
That felt like melodrama.
That said, good win. Freese probably means less time for Taylor and Kemp with Bellinger moving to the OF much more regularly.
Yeesh, you guys are a tough crowd sometimes. I joke but it was just a typo and I’ll leave it up for posterity. Anyways many people have thought the Dodgers were done for based on the way they’ve been playing since the all-star break. Honestly I haven’t been very confident. Have you?
Scott
Most people don’t think the Dodgers have played that well.
And because of that, there are not many Dodger fans, that are confident with the team, just like you!
After all, we just beat up two of the worse teams in all of baseball, after being swept by a pretty good, Cardinal team.
And we have only won one game in this current series, and that was only by one run.
Confidence in our house has more to do with the Dbacks and Rocks.
If one of them can play poised ball in September, Ds are in trouble.
But that’s a big IF. Not a big fan of either Black or Lovullo, and unlike
Badger (with whom I agree most of the time, so I can save postings:-),
I think managers weigh heavily in outcomes.
Anyone heard from Badger lately?
Definitely not confident, but who’s talking about confidence?
You wrote: “dead and buried”.
Personally I don’t know if bringing Freeze to this team is a good thing.
Because if he doesn’t produce they will still play him way to much, just like they did with every player they have brought to this team, at the trade deadline.
I think we already have to many players they have to plug into a game, and I don’t think you get the best from players, playing this way, but we will see.
I don’t know where Freeze is going to play, but both the Cards and the Angels, use to put in defensive replacements when he played third, at the end of the game.
This just shows what a mistake they made by resigning Forsythe instead of Morrow, because if we would have had Morrow are a better arm for our pen, we wouldn’t still be in a pennant race right now.
Scott the difference with the solo HRs in this game, is that Turner was one of the players that hit a solo HR, and this was against good pitching.
In the other games where there are a bunch of solo HRs, it is usually against subpar pitching, or a decent pitcher having a bad game.
And we know Turner hits good pitching, and no one else but Kiké, hit a HR in this game.
I knew when the Dbacks manager kept Greinke in this game, we would win that game.
Because Greinke has not been the same pitcher, when he is in the game longer then 6 or 7 innings.
And I thought the Dbacks had good help at the back of their bullpen, so I was surprised they kept Greinke in this game.
Had the same FORESIGHT (that’s for MT:-), MJ.
Their bullpen, like almost every other in MLB, has struggled of late,
buy thought it was a wee better option than a tired-lookin’ Zach.
Dud
It is always good to hear from you!
And you know how hard this team has hit Greinke, after he has tired out, so I was much surprised like you, that the Dbacks stayed with Zach.
Actually I thought Ryu looked much better, except when Goldy took him deep.
Jonah
You were right, I just read in the LA Times, that Verdugo posted on his Instagram account, he had arrived in LA, last night.