Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Now usually, if you get a grand slam and score five runs in the top of the first inning, you’re well on your way to winning the ballgame. But not if you’re playing the 2022 Dodgers. On Sunday afternoon, the Dodgers continued their comeback ways, clawing their way out of two massive holes, and going on to win a completely bonkers 11-9 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Getting Higgy with it in the first
The top of the first started okay, but went south very quickly for Dodger starter Julio Urias. After striking out leadoff man Christopher Morel, Urias proceeded to plunk two of the next three hitters. And the hitter he didn’t hit with a pitch, smacked a double over Gavin Lux‘s head for a double. Still, he could have gotten out of the inning with minimal damage if not for Cubs catcher PJ Higgins. With the bases loaded and the Dodgers already trailing 1-0, Higgins blasted a grand slam to left that made the score 5-0 Cubs with the Dodgers not even getting to the dish.
Mini comeback tightens it up
However, the Dodgers showed pretty quickly that they weren’t just going to lie down and take the L in this one. They scored three runs in their half of the first, tightening the deficit to 5-3. The big hits in the inning were a Will Smith double that plated the Dodgers’ first run and an RBI single from Justin Turner, who continues his hot-hitting ways.
Three run jack extends Cubs’ lead
Julio just didn’t have it in this one. Dave Roberts lifted him after just two innings of work, having surrendered five runs on three hits. However, the main reason he was pulled was his rapidly climbing pitch count, which hit nearly sixty over the first two innings. The early hook turned Sunday into a bullpen game, and it was Phil Bickford who was the first out of the chute. Unfortunately, Bickford didn’t fare much better, as he gave up a three-run dinger in the top of third to David Bote. With the score now 8-3, it seemed like this game was starting to look like a lost cause.
Huge inning flips the script
However, the bottom of the third came along, and lawdy, what an inning it was! The Dodgers scored six runs while sending eleven men to the plate. Freddie Freeman started it off with a leadoff double. After taking third on a passed ball, Freeman scored on Will Smith groundout to get on the board.
Then, they just started chipping away. A Justin Turner single and a Max Muncy double put runners at second and third. Trayce Thompson walked to juice the bags. After a strikeout for Jake Lamb, Gavin Lux drew a walk of his own to score another. Mookie Betts reached on a throwing error on the infield that allowed two more runs to score. Then, in the coup de grace of the inning, Trea Turner banged a single through the left side to put the Dodgers up by a score of 9-8. Seventeen runs had scored, and it was just the bottom of the third. Completely insane.
Freddie takes the reigns
After the wild and wooly start this game had, things settled down pretty quickly. The Dodger pen put up zeroes in five of the last six innings. The only blemish was a solo homer that David Price gave up to Nelson Velazquez in the 8th. It was some much needed quality to finish up the game.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers managed to tack on a couple more runs, scoring once in the sixth and seventh innings. And both runs were chiefly the doing of one Freddie Freeman. Freeman blasted a solo home run in the sixth, and then in the seventh, he hit a single that scored Gavin Lux from second base.
Graterol with the six-out save
Good as the pen was in the late innings, David Price found himself in a big time jam in the 8th. After giving up a lead-off homer to make the score 11-9, Price surrendered a double and a walk to put men on first and second with nobody out. That was the end of Price’s day. Brusdar Graterol came in, and thanks to a couple of infield grounders, one of which was a double play, Graterol was about to extricate the Dodgers from the inning with no further damage.
And, in the ninth, Graterol sent the Cubbies down 1-2-3 as well, thanks in large part to some great glove work from Gavin Lux at second and Justin Turner at third. When Freddie Freeman squeezed Turner’s throw across the diamond, this wacky three hour and fifty-nine minute game was finally over, and wouldn’t you know it, your LA Dodgers were the winners.
On to St. Louis!
With the 10-1 homestand, the Dodgers are now in the driver’s seat, both in the league and in the division. Within the last few days, they caught and passed the Mets for the best record in the league, and they now enjoy a lead of a full 8 games over the Padres. The last time they had such a lead was on the final day of the 2019 season. It’s been a breathtaking turn of events. The Dodgers have an off-day on Monday, and then start their final five games before the All Star Break with a three-game set in St. Louis. It’ll be Mitch White again on the hill for the Blue Crew on Tuesday, 4:45 pm start. See you there, Dodger fans!
Cans of Corn…
- In addition to Trea and Mookie, Kershaw and Gonsolin have been added to the All-Star team. More on that on Monday.
- Freddie Freeman, who didn’t make the All-Star team, went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and two runs scored. Not too late to reconsider those All-Star picks.
- This game was a good example of why you should never give up on a game. And that means, don’t throw the position player!
