Steve Webb
CHICAGO, IL — This team. Even when it feels like nobody is hitting, somebody always seems to step up and get the job done. In this second game of the double-header against the Cubs, the Dodgers got a grand total of one hit through the first eight innings. Which happened to be a Mookie Betts bases-clearing double that put the team up 4-1. After that, they walked a lot, but got nothing going until Betts himself intervened in the top of the ninth. With a two-run homer. In all it was a two-hit, five RBI day for Mookie as the Dodgers won their fifth straight by a score of 6-2.
Mookie costs Dodgers a run in the first
For a while in this one, Betts looked more like the “goat” in this game than the GOAT. He misplayed a deep fly off the bat of Wilson Contreras in the first inning, and when it bounced off his glove and rattled around in the corner, Contreras rounded the bases and had himself a gift of a triple. Nine times out of ten, a Gold-glover like Betts makes that play. But not so on this windy Chicago night. One batter later Contreras was able to slide home under Will Smith‘s tag on a ground ball to Max Muncy at third, and the Cubbies had a quick 1-0 lead.
Anderson pitches well; the Cubs, not so much
It was a hard-luck run given up by Dodger starter Tyler Anderson, but that was about all they could get off him. He kept showing great command all evening, and were it not for the Betts gaffe and no-doubt solo shot from Contreras in the fifth, it would have been a perfect night for the Dodgers’ lefty. Anderson’s change-up was particularly deadly, getting hitter after hitter to chase the ball out of the zone. His final line for a good night of pitching: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 7 K.
Meanwhile, the bullpen game for the Cubs was NOT going according to plan. The Cubs pitchers were missing a lot of bats, but the problem was they were missing the strike zone as well. In all, it was nine walks surrendered by Chicago pitchers in this one, and wouldn’t you know it, five of those guys ending up scoring. And the Cubs lost by four. So, you do the math.
Betts clears bases in second
Betts’s opportunity to make up for his first-inning fielding miscue came quickly enough, in the top of the second. First, though, Cubs opener Daniel Norris seriously had a falling out with the strike zone. He started the second inning with three straight walks before finally he struck out Cody Bellinger for the first out of the inning. After a pitching change, new reliever Keegan Thompson struck out Chris Taylor (who did not have a good day).
That brought up the number nine hitter, Hanser Alberto, and it looked like Thompson might just wiggle out of this one. But get this: Hanser Alberto, good ol’ free-swingin’ Hanser, who never saw a pitch he didn’t like, held off. He let four straight ball fly by for his first four-pitch walk in over two years. It was good enough for a game-tying RBI.
Probably the Dodgers would have been satisfied with the one run at this point, but not the newly resurgent Mookie Betts. He got into a full count with Thompson, but with the bases loaded, he knew he’d probably be seeing a strike. Thompson threw Betts a cutter that was about as middle-middle as a pitch could be. Mookie turned on it an ripped it down the third base line, past a diving Patrick Wisdom. It rolled for a good long while and by the time the ball made it back to the infield, all three baserunners had scored. Not a bad inning, four runs on just one hit. Thanks, Cubs pitchers!
Middle Relief Strong
After Anderson pitched his six innings in this one, he handed it off to a bullpen that wasn’t really used much in the first game of the double-header. And they pitched great. Daniel Hudson pitched a perfect sixth inning. Brusdar Graterol needed only 19 of his high-velocity pitches to go two scoreless innings after that.
However, the Dodger bats had gone stone cold. They were getting their walks, but that was it. The game entered the ninth inning with only the Betts double in the scorebooks on the Dodgers side.
Return of the Mook
And for a while, it looked like the Dodgers would have to be content with that one hit. Cubs closer David Robertson got two quick outs until guess what, he walked the number nine man in the order (this time Gavin Lux). Which gave our man Mookie one more bite at the apple at this one. Note to pitchers everywhere: DON’T walk the number nine man!!
Mookie emphatically taught this lesson to Robertson in his bonus at-bat. He got behind 1-2, but Robertson threw him a knuckle curve that was way too tasty. Betts clobbered the ball deep into the Wrigleyville night for a two run homer, making it a 6-2 Dodger advantage.
Craig Kimbrel pitched the bottom of the ninth against his old team, and while he made things way too tough on himself, he did pitch a scoreless inning to secure the victory.
Walker gets the ball for Sunday night baseball
Now a league-best 18-7, the Dodgers make their ESPN debut on Sunday night for the national broadcast. And Dave Roberts will be showcasing the jewel in the pitching crown. Walker Buehler gets the start in this one, working on a very nice string of starts. He’ll be facing Marcus Stroman, who is still scuffling a bit in the early going, but who, like Buehler, loves the spotlight. It should be a good game. Get out them brooms, Dodger fans, 4:10 PDT first pitch.
Cans of Corn…
- Chris Taylor has gone a lot of good for the team this year, but that swing-and-miss is… hard to watch sometimes.
- Trea Turner is quietly having a very sub-par year. What’s up with that?
- Has Craig Kimbrel pitched a clean inning all year?
- Loved listening to the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis make his debut in the booth with Joe Davis today. An engaging personality, and the dude knows his stuff.
- Loved what we saw from Graterol today. He only needs to work on consistency from day to day.
- A sweep on national TV would be a nice way to end the week.
