Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — More like the Los Angeles Dingers, amirite? It wasn’t the firepower of Monday’s drubbing of the Rockies, but Tuesday’s 5-2 win was plenty good just the same. Riding a great start from Julio Urias and home runs from Will Smith, Jayson Heyward, and Max Muncy, the Dodgers got ahead early and held off a Rockies rally in the 9th to move to finish the home stand at 4-2.
The Dodgers got off to a quick 2-0 lead with yet another Will Smith home run in the first inning. This is the third straight game that Smith has gone deep as the Dodger catcher remains red-hot and locked in.
However, in the top of the 3rd, the whole enterprise was very much in jeopardy as the Rockies got three straight singles to load up the bases on starter Julio Urias with nobody out. It was definite rabbit-out-of-the hat time for Urias. And I’ll be damned if he didn’t deliver. A perfect pitch struck out Kris Bryant and then Urias got the pitcher’s best friend: a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning and complete the escape act. Ta-daaa!
Then, the offense went back to work. In the 3rd, Jason Heyward completely obliterated a ball for a solo shot, his 2nd home run of the season. Then in the 4th, it was Max Muncy’s turn to get in on the tater party. He took Rockies starter German Marquez way deep to right field for a solo jack of his own, making the score 4-0. In the 8th, the Dodgers added one last piece of insurance with a RBI double from Will Smith.
Meanwhile, Julio had a chance to settle in. It wasn’t his most efficient outing, but he still managed to have a quiet game after the scare in the second and improved his ERA for the young season to 1.50 His line for the night: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
After Urias did his six innings of work, Caleb Ferguson, Brusdar Graterol, and Phil Bickford all pitched to finish things up in the final innings. Things got a little dicey in the the 9th when Bickford gave up a run scoring double off the glove of Jason Heyward to get the Rockies on the board. After a walk put men on first and second, Evan Phillips came on to put an end to all the foolishness and get the Dodgers into the clubhouse with the W. Phillips then plunked a guy and then gave up a sac fly to make it 5-2. Urgh.
It was longtime Dodger nemesis Charlie Blackmon who strode to the plate as the final hope of the Rockies. And though Chuck Nazty has gotten the better of the Dodgers in the past, this time it wasn’t to be. Phillips got a harmless groundball to the right side to end the game. Phew!
“Tonight was good, up and down the lineup,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “When we do that, we’re pretty tough to beat and tough to pitch to. Guys were taking walks. … Up and down the lineup, just really good stuff.”
Short Hops
- Dodgers now lead the majors in home runs with 13 in six games.
- Before the game, Mookie received his hardware from last season: a gold glove and a silver slugger.
- Mookie played second base in this one and was part of that game-saving double play in the 3rd.
- Later in the game, Betts nearly collided with big boy Jason Heyward on a pop fly in shallow right. He took a nasty tumble and was slow to get up. Mookie stayed in the game, but we’ll have to keep an eye on him.
- Both Miguels, Rojas and Vargas, sat out tonight nursing slight injuries.
- Two hits tonight from Betts, Smith, and Muncy.
- Heyward’s homer was 112 mph. Yeesh.
- Off Day on Wednesday, and then another four-gamer with the D-backs. This one will be in Phoenix, and will get underway on Thursday night at 7:10 pm. Dustin May will lock horns with WBC pitcher Merrill Kelly.
