Steve Webb
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Wow. Dodger starter Dustin May’s return has been inconsistent, but when the dude is on, it’s something to behold. Friday night was one of those “on” nights. At a windy Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Dodgers’ budding star was flawless. He went five no-hit innings and left the game with a 4-0 lead, thanks to some timely hitting up and down the batting order. The bullpen gave up a couple of hits, but finished out the shutout as the team won 5-0 and notched victory number 99 with another 19 left to play.
Good things happen when you put the ball in play
It was Logan Webb on the bump again for the Giants, and the Dodgers got some traffic early. After stranding Mookie Betts at second base in the first, they pushed a run across in the next inning. Max Muncy led off by tattooing an 0-2 sinker into the gap for a double. After he moved to third on a Justin Turner groundball to the right side, Joey Gallo stepped up. Gallo, he of the many strikeouts, got some nice wood on the ball and hit a ground ball to the first baseman Wilmer Flores. With the contact play on, Muncy broke for home. The throw from Flores beat Muncy to the plate, but catcher Joey Bart couldn’t come up with the ball. 1-0 Dodgers.
More small ball yields a big inning
Then, in the 4th, almost a carbon copy of the first run of the game. Once again, the Dodgers got a leadoff double (this time from Justin Turner). Once again, a grounder to the right side moved the runner to third. Only this time around, instead of a fielder’s choice, Chris Taylor slapped a line drive into centerfield to easily plate Turner with the game’s second run.
However, the Dodgers weren’t content with just one run. After a passed ball moved Taylor to second, it was Cody Bellinger’s turn to get in on the action. In a very good at-bat, he worked the count full before driving a solid single into right. Taylor scored from second and the Dodgers had another early run off Webb.
Then, Cody Bellinger showed why he is such a weapon if he can only get on base. With one out, Belli swiped second and had the wheels to make it home on Trea Turner’s RBI single. Without a homer in sight, the Dodgers were up 4-0.
May brilliant through five hitless innings
While the Dodgers were busy wounding Logan Webb with a thousand cuts (seven actually), Dustin May was lights out from the mound. This was by far his best outing of the year. He had one little hiccup with a walk, but that was quickly erased on a double play. So other than that, he was perfect. Like literally. No hits. No runs. No errors.
Since it was obvious that Doc wasn’t going to let him go the distance in this one so soon after Tommy John recovery, it wasn’t that big of a surprise when May was lifted after five innings, no hitter or not. Still, it was a very good sign after a couple of shaky performances in a row. Tonight’s line was as beautiful as it gets: 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER 1 BB, 4 K.
Bullpen finishes off shut-out
The no-hitter lasted another two outs. However, with Alex Vesia on the mound, Luis Gonzalez tapped a little bleeder on the right side of the infield for a fairly weak way to break up a no-hitter. Good thing there was a solid single later in the game or it would have been really a drag. After Vesia, Caleb Ferguson struck out two in his inning of work, and Phil Bickford went two scoreless innings to wrap things up.
Before the final out was recorded, the Dodgers tacked on one more run in the 9th, with a walk to Cody Bellinger, a stolen base, and a run-scoring single from Freddie Freeman. Freeman was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, but Belli’s run crossed the plate before the play at second, which scored the Dodgers’ final run, accounting for the 5-0 score that will make it into the box scores in Saturday morning’s papers.
El Culichi to the mound on Saturday
At press time, there’s been no announcement on the Giants’ starter on Saturday, but we do know that whoever it is, he’ll be the underdog in this fight. That’s because it’s the start day for perhaps the best pitcher in the National League right now, Dodger lefty Julio Urías. Since the All-Star game (in which he scandalously didn’t participate), Urías has won 8 of 9 starts, posting a 1.29 ERA. He might not be the favorite for Cy Young this year, but it’s not such a crazy idea if he finishes these last few starts strong. Probably he’s got three, maybe four more bites at the apple before the postseason, and you know that Doc will be watching that pitch count like a hawk all the while. Game time is 6:05, back on SportsNetLA.
Cans of Corn…
- In honor of Roberto Clemente Day yesterday, Dodgers Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw both wore number 21 on their jerseys on Friday. Kersh is a past winner of the award. JT is this year’s Dodger nominee.
- There was a great piece by Jorge Castillo in the LA Times on Julio Urias on Friday. Check it out. Great read for Mexican Independence Day.
- Looks like Gavin Lux will be back in the line-up on Saturday. First time since NYC.
- Tony Gonsolin continues to make progress. Says he’s open to any role that Doc has for him in the postseason.
- Apple TV’s “Hit Probability” ticker in the corner of the screen is profoundly dumb.
- Justin Turner hit his 35th double of the year, a new career high for him.
- Belli stole two bases and had some nice baserunning to score two of the Dodgers’ runs.
