Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — I for one did not have Ryan Pepiot outpitching Sandy Alcantara on my Bingo card for this one. But that is exactly what happened. The Dodgers’ hitters treated the Marlins’ Cy Young candidate as if he were a prospect making his first big-league start. They scored on the lanky righty in every one of the four innings that Alcántara pitched in, and sent him to the showers on the wrong end of a 6-2 score. On the other hand, Ryan Pepiot only gave up a two-run homer in the fourth and went six solid inning for his second victory of the year. After Alcántara was chased from the game, the Dodgers tacked on four more off the Marlins’ pen to coast to a 10-3 win.
Joey Gallo with a cannon to save a run
In the top of the first, Ryan Pepiot found himself in some early trouble, most of it of his own doing. He walked the leadoff man Joey Wendle, then after a strikeout hit Jesus Aguilar with an inside pitch. Now with two on and one out, Pepiot had some work to do. He struck out rookie JJ Bleday, but when right fielder Bryan Anderson banged a single into left, it looked like the Marlins might score the game’s first run.
Not so fast. Joey Gallo fielded the ball on a hop and delivered a perfect strike to Will Smith at the plate. Runner out. Inning over.
Dodgers break through with one in the first
It figured that runs were going to be at a premium for the Dodgers on Sunday, given the fact that Sandy Alcántara had only given up four earned runs in his last three starts. So, when Mookie Betts got on base with a single through the six-hole, the Dodgers were willing to be a little aggressive on the bases. Betts promptly stole second base, and was in scoring position two outs later for Will Smith. The Dodgers catcher coolly banged a line-drive single into center, and Betts scampered home to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.
Gallo and Belli with a couple of moonshots in the second
After Ryan Pepiot threw a scoreless second, the Dodgers were back at the bat rack. With the bottom of the order coming up, maybe Alcántara thought that this lineup might give him a little bit of a breather. If he thought that, he thought wrong. After Alcántara got the first two outs, Joey Gallo came to the plate. On a 2-2 count, Gallo hit a ball a mile high into the California afternoon. When it finally came down it evaded the glove of right fielder Bryan Anderson and bounced high off the wall. By the time the ball made it to the infield, Gallo had chugged around the bases and was at third with a triple.
Cody Bellinger came up next and blasted a moonshot of his own, almost to the exact same spot in right as Gallo’s. The only difference between the two was that Cody’s landed on the other side of the fence for a two-run home run. It was now 3-0 Dodgers, and Sandy Alcántara was looking very human.
Dodgers chase Alcántara in the 4th
The Dodgers were determined to show Sandy Alcántara what a real lineup is like, so they continued to apply the pressure in the next two innings. In the bottom of the 3rd, Max Muncy drove in a run with a solid single to right. Then, in the 4th, the coup de grâce. Mookie Betts and Will Smith each drove in a run, Betts with a single and Smith with a ground-rule double. If not for the bounce over the wall, Smith would have driven in the 7th run off the Marlins’ ace.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly had seen enough. In a stunning afternoon, Alcántara wasn’t able to make it out of the fourth inning. It was his shortest outing of the year, and easily his worst. His ERA had been a league-leading 1.92 before taking the mound on Sunday. When he hit the showers, it sat at 2.19, a couple ticks behind our own Tony Gonsolin at 2.12.
Pepiot rewards Doc’s confidence
Meanwhile, Ryan Pepiot settled in for one his better outings of the season. His fastball was getting a lot of movement, and was playing inside the zone. He did give up a two-run homer to Lewin Diaz in the 4th, but that was it. For a hot minute, it looked like Dave Roberts might pull his young prospect in the 6th after Jesus Aguilar led off with a single. Doc was top-stepping it in the dugout, but in the end, he left Pepiot in to fend for himself. Pepiot responded with a pop-out, a strikeout, and a grounder to third to end the inning. A great confidence builder for the young pitcher. His line for the afternoon: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
Dodgers tack on to win going away
With Alcántara out of the game, the Dodgers kept the pressure on the Marlins’ bullpen in the final innings. Max Muncy went yard in the 7th for his second hit of the day. Then, in the 8th, the Dodgers added three more runs, thanks to a couple of RBI singles from Smith and JT and a throwing error on the right fielder Anderson. As far as the bullpen went, David Price gave up a solo shot, but it was all zeros otherwise. Craig Kimbrel threw a rare 1-2-3 inning to finish off the sweep.
Here comes the Brew Crew…
With the sweep complete, the Dodgers stay home for one more series with the Milwaukee Brewers starting on Monday at the Ravine. The Brewers will throw Eric Lauer, Corbin Burnes, and Aaron Ashby against Urias, Gonsolin, and Heaney. Game times for the first two contests will be 7:10 pm with Wednesday’s game starting a 6:00. The Dodgers haven’t lost a series at home since last month, so no reason to start now.
Cans of Corn…
- Dodgers offense was relentless today: 16 hits, 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
- In addition to his triple and outfield assist, Joey Gallo had a single, a walk, and a great diving catch in left field.
- Five Dodgers had multi-hit games. Freddie and Will Smith had three knocks each.
- Pepiot really settled in after the first inning.
- Doc said after the game that it was important to get Kimbrel consistent work, rather than only insert him in save situtations.
- Today was Women’s Day at the ballpark, so all the walk-up songs were by female artists. Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Idina Menzel among others were featured.
- Throwing out the first pitch was women’s baseball legend Maybelle Blair. The nonagenarian joined Joe and Orel in the booth for one inning. She was, in the words of her generation, a pistol.
