Steve Webb
KANSAS CITY, MO — In tribute to Kansas City’s own Negro League Museum and its new Cooperstown inductee Buck O’Neil, the Dodgers and Royals were in throwback uniforms for the game at Kaufman Stadium on Saturday night. And, keeping with the retro theme, the Dodgers put a good old fashioned beat-down on the Royals, pounding six homers, and piling up 13 runs en route to a 13-3 win. It was the Dodgers’ 12th straight win. The team is really firing on all cylinders right now. It something to see.
Dodgers jump all over Royals early
To be honest, this game was pretty much over before an out was recorded. The Dodgers got out of the blocks as well as they have all year and scored five runs in the first inning. It absolutely was not what Royals starter Brad Keller was hoping for when he took the mound. Things started off with a bang, as Mookie Betts blasted a 2-2 pitch over the right centerfield fence for yet another leadoff homer. Five pitches into the game and it was already 1-0 Dodgers.
Keller tried to shake it off, but it just wasn’t in the cards for him on Saturday. Trea Turner came up after Betts and banged a single into right off the pitcher. Then, after back-to-back walks to Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, it was the Dodgers’ third bases-loaded, nobody-out opportunity of the series. They blew their first chance, but haven’t made the same mistake since.
This time, they got four more runs out of the situation. It was a lot of station-to-station action for the team. An RBI single for Max Muncy. Another for Justin Turner. And a third for Gavin Lux, with each hit scoring one run. Then, during Joey Gallo‘s at-bat, Keller spiked a ball into the dirt for a wild pitch to score Muncy from third with the fifth run of the inning. If not for an ill-advised attempt to score on a flyball by Justin Turner, who knows how long the inning might have gone on.
More longballs to extend the lead
Now with a comfortable lead, the Dodgers kept pouring it on, scoring in each of the first four innings. Will Smith hit a two-run jack in the second to make it 7-0. Then, after the Royals got a couple back in the bottom of the inning, the Dodgers struck again in the 3rd. This time it was Gavin Lux who blasted another Keller meatball into the seats in right. In the 4th inning, it was Max Muncy‘s turn. With Will Smith aboard, he turned around a 101-mph slice of cheese from reliever Carlos Hernandez and deposited it among the paying customers in right center.
The score was 10-2, and the Dodgers still weren’t done. They added another in the 6th on a Max Muncy double. Then, when the Royals threw infielder Nicky Lopez in the top of the 9th, Joey Gallo and Cody Bellinger just unloaded on a couple of BP fastballs and sent them deep into the Missouri night for solo shots to account for the final score of 13-3.
Heaney looks okay, but exits early
With this much offense exploding all around you, the Dodgers’ pitchers were almost an afterthought. Andrew Heaney was the starter in this one. And, he his strikeout pitch working, but didn’t look quite as sharp as he has in other outings. He only went three innings in this one for a couple of reasons. One, the game was pretty much out of reach at the time of his exit, but more importantly, Heaney took a line drive off the chest in third inning.
He stayed in the game to finish the inning, but didn’t come out to face the Royals in the 4th. So, his line for an abbreviated night looked like this: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. The bullpen came in after Heaney’s exit and got their work in while the teams played this one out. It was Caleb Ferguson first, then Chris Martin, then Phil Bickford. Finally, it was Reyes Moronta in the 8th and good ol’ Hanser Alberto to wrap things up in the 9th. Bickford gave up a run, but got credited with the win because somebody had to get the W, I guess.
Dodgers get out the brooms on Sunday
The Dodgers will be looking for yet another series sweep on Sunday, and looking for their 13th straight win. If they can accomplish that feat, they will tie an LA-era record last set back in the Koufax era. To get the record-tying victory, Dave Roberts will give the ball to Tyler Anderson, who is coming off his brilliant start against the Padres on Sunday Night baseball. The Royals counter with young righty Brady Singer, who is still trying to settle in to his big-league career after being picked in the first round in 2018. It’s a day game, which means an 11:10 first pitch here in LA. Let’s go, Dodgers!
Cans of Corn…
- Max Muncy’s hot August nights continue. He went 4-for-5 in this one with a homer and 4 RBI. His slugging percentage for this month is nearly .900. Not OPS. Slug!
- Andrew Heaney‘s injury was described as an “arm contusion.” Hopefully, it’s just a good ol’ black and blue mark, and he’ll be back for his next start.
- The Dodgers all toured the Negro League Museum before the game. Seems like they got a lot out of it.
- Negro League Museum president Bob Kendrick joined the SNLA broadcast team to share some stories during the third inning of the ballgame. That man is a national treasure.
- Kind of lame that Nike demands to have its insignia on throwback jerseys.
- Caleb Ferguson‘s ERA is still 0.00. This after 17.2 innings.
- It’s hard to see this team losing when they are playing like this. Mets, Yankees, Astros, are you watching?
