Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — The top of the Dodgers’ batting order must have gotten tired of hearing how the bottom of the lineup was doing all the heavy lifting during the first road trip of the year. Because they came alive tonight in the Dodgers’ home opener in a big way, leading two separate rallies, including a six-run eighth inning. Led by new Dodger Freddie Freeman, the top of the order went 6-for-15 as the Dodgers topped the visiting Cincinnati Reds 9-3.
Small Ball plates three in the first
At first, the game looked like the Dodgers would win it in a cakewalk. After Walker Buehler pitched a scoreless inning, the home team went right to work. They got five straight singles resulting in three runs to get on the board early.
However, things got real quiet after that. New Reds pitcher Reiver Sanmartin shut down the Dodgers for the next five innings, allowing just two hits along the way.
Buehler faces one batter too many
It’s hard to be a big-league manager. The day after Dave Roberts brought down the wrath of the Internet for yanking Clayton Kershaw out after only 80 pitches in the midst of a perfect game, Doc was a little too trusting of Walker Buehler in this one.
For much of the night Buehler looked great, and he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings. And there it should have ended. But Roberts stuck with his ace for one more out. However, he walked catcher Tyler Stephenson on five pitches, and then gave up a two-run home run to Aristides Aquino, and suddenly we had a ball game again. Shaking his head as he left the mound, Buehler no doubt wanted that last pitch to Aquino back, as it erased a lot of great pitching during the evening. The line for Buetane tonight: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K.
The next pitcher up, David Price, got out of the inning, but surrendered a game-tying home run to Brandon Drury in the next inning, and the game went into the eighth deadlocked at 3-3.
Offense comes to life again in the 8th
But you can only keep this Dodger lineup down for so long. In the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers made sure that they sent the Dodger faithful home happy. Starting with a Freddie Freeman double to center field, the Dodger hitters pummeled Reds relievers Justin Wilson, Tony Santillan, and Ryan Hendrix for six runs on six hits. The home boys sent eleven hitter to the plate in the inning, but the tone was set by Freddie Freeman’s ground rule double to center.
After that, the Dodgers were off and running. Trea Turner hit an opposite field single to break the tie. Then after a Justin Turner walk and Max Muncy strikeout, catcher Will Smith delivered the knockout punch. He blasted a shot to center that Reds outfielder Jake Fraley made a play on at the fence. The ball bounced off the top of the fence and then caromed off Fraley glove over the fence for a three-run shot. After three more singles and a walk, the Dodgers found themselves with a comfortable 9-3 lead, and there it stayed for the rest of the night.
Dodgers now tied for first
The win increased the Dodgers’ record to 4-2, putting them in a tie for first place in the NL West with the Rockies and the Giants. They try to make it four in a row tomorrow evening, with Tony Gonsolin getting the ball for the home team. Righthander Vladimir Gutierrez will toe the rubber for the Reds, who have dropped five out of their last six games. In addition, it will be Jackie Robinson Day across baseball tomorrow, with all the pageantry which that entails. The first 40,000 fans into Dodger Stadium tomorrow will receive a free Jackie Robinson Dodger jersey, so get to the Ravine early to get yours.
Cans of Corn…
- After Freeman’s double in the eighth, there were some goosebumps when the crowd broke into the “Fred-die! Fred-die!” chants. Nice moment.
- Six Dodgers had multi-hit nights tonight, showing once again how lethal this lineup can be when everybody starts rolling.
- Trea Turner extended his hitting streak to 25 games with a single in the first inning He has now hit safely in 52 of his 58 games as a Dodger.
- Don’t look now, but Cody Bellinger is hitting .286 with .899 OPS. Yes, that Cody Bellinger.
- Buehler had a very good night tonight, though his stat line ended up being a little disappointing and he got a no decision instead of a win.
- Tomorrow’s game is exclusively on Apple TV+, so you’re gonna have to do your best at finding a place to watch it.
