Steve Webb
OAKLAND, CA — Now THAT is more like it! After three very disappointing losses in a row, the Dodgers got back into the win column in the most emphatic way possible on Saturday night in Oakland. The team’s recent acquisition, Jack Flaherty, made a stellar debut, leading the Dodgers to a commanding 10-0 victory over the Athletics. Acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline, Flaherty’s performance showcased why the Dodgers were eager to bring him on board.
Flaherty was in top form, delivering six shutout innings, allowing only five hits, and striking out seven. His command and poise on the mound were evident from the first pitch, as he efficiently navigated through the Athletics’ lineup. Flaherty’s impressive debut set the tone for the Dodgers, who have been vying to strengthen their shaky pitching rotation for a postseason push.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first, thanks to a two-run single from the scorching hot Gavin Lux in the top of the third inning. After Cavan Biggio drew a lead-off walk and Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-out double, A’s starter Mitch Spence served up a cutter to Lux over the heart of the plate that Luxy promptly banged into the opposite field for a two-out RBI. For a while, it looked like that would be all the scoring that we’d see in this game.
Flaherty was not perfect, but made the pitches he needed to in order to get out of a few jams. Especially impressive was his performance in the sixth inning, when the Athletics loaded up the bases with nobody out. Knowing he was nearing the end of his outing, Flaherty dug deep and escaped the jam, getting a force out at home on a grounder to third, striking out Seth Brown and then inducing a harmless ground out to short to end the A’s threat on his 99th pitch of the night. His line for his impressive Dodger debut: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
The game remained tightly contested until the later innings when the Dodgers’ offense finally erupted, leaving no doubt about the outcome. It was the eighth and ninth innings where they truly blew the game wide open. In the eighth, Enrique Hernández’s RBI double followed by Andy Pages’ RBI single started the scoring spree, pushing the lead to 4-0.
In the ninth inning, the Dodgers put on a clinic, racking up six more runs. Shohei Ohtani led off with a single and proceeded to steal two bases, adding to his impressive tally for the season, which gives him a 30/30 season, the first since Matt Kemp in 2011 (40/40 anyone?). Returning Dodger Amed Rosario, pinch-hitting for Gavin Lux, delivered an RBI single, followed by hits from Will Smith, Jason Heyward, and Enrique Hernández, each driving in runs. The inning’s final highlight was Nick Ahmed’s RBI single, capping off the Dodgers’ dominant offensive display.
Overall, the game was a testament to the Dodgers’ depth and talent. Flaherty’s remarkable debut and the late-inning offensive explosion was a nice bounceback after Friday’s loss. With this victory, the Dodgers improved to 64-47, solidifying their first-place position in the NL West, while the Athletics fell to 46-66.
The Dodgers will play their last-ever game at the Coliseum on Sunday afternoon to wrap up the series. They’ll send River Ryan and his sub-1.00 ERA to the mound to face off against righty Osvaldo Bido. Game time is 1:07 PDT. See you there!
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