Steve Webb
Game 103, 7/24/2024: Dodgers 3, Giants 8
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — On a warm evening at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers faced off against the Giants, and the game quickly turned into a frustrating showcase of missed opportunities for the home team. Robby Ray, making his debut for the Giants, kept the Dodgers’ hitters off-balance all night, leading to a lackluster performance from the usually potent lineup.
From the start, the Dodgers struggled to get anything going against Ray. Shohei Ohtani, leading off the bottom of the first, flew out sharply to left field. Despite a brief glimmer of hope with Will Smith getting hit by a pitch and advancing to third on a wild pitch, the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize. Freddie Freeman walked, and Teoscar Hernández was also hit by a pitch, loading the bases. However, a bases-loaded walk to Andy Pages, which brought in Smith, was all the Dodgers could muster after that. Miguel Vargas struck out swinging, and Chris Taylor popped out to end the inning with the Dodgers leading 1-0. That was the last good news for the Dodgers against Ray for the rest of the night.
For the Dodgers, it was the first start in a little while for Tyler Glasnow, who went on the IL prior to the All-Star break. He did… okay. He wasn’t landing as many pitches as he would have liked, causing his pitch count to be elevated and there to be too much traffic on the bases. However, he only gave up a pair of runs, one on a Matt Chapman homer in the fourth, followed by an RBI single later in the same inning from Mike Yastrzemski. However, that was enough runs to saddle him with the L. Glasnow’s final line for the evening: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K.
Ray settled into a groove after the first inning. Over the next four innings, he allowed no hits and struck out seven Dodgers batters. The top of the Dodgers’ order, which has been so reliable this season, looked overmatched. Ohtani, Freeman, and Hernández went a combined 0-for-7 with five strikeouts, never finding a rhythm against Ray’s mix of fastballs and breaking pitches.
The Dodgers’ offensive woes were compounded by their bullpen issues. With several relievers unavailable, manager Dave Roberts was forced to leave Yohan Ramirez on the mound longer than usual, even as he struggled. In the eighth inning, Ramirez’s command faltered, leading to a series of walks and hits that allowed the Giants to break the game open. Mike Yastrzemski and Patrick Bailey delivered key RBI singles, while Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos added insurance runs, extending the Giants’ lead to 8-1.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers showed a brief sign of life with Nick Ahmed‘s single and Freddie Freeman’s RBI double, but it was too little, too late. The Giants’ bullpen, led by Taylor Rogers, closed the door in the ninth, securing an 8-3 victory.
Ultimately, the combination of Ray’s dominant pitching debut and the Dodgers’ bullpen woes led to a disappointing loss. As the team looks to bounce back, finding ways to adjust against tough pitching and managing their bullpen effectively will be key to avoiding similar setbacks in the future.
