Steve Webb
DENVER, CO — There are dreams. There are dreams come true. And then there’s whatever that over-the-top fantastic Dreamsicle of a debut that outfielder James Outman had on Sunday. The Dodger prospect went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, a single and three RBI. That was more than enough to power the Dodgers to a 7-3 victory in the finale of the team’s last series in Coors Field for the year. Though the Dodgers were on the losing end of the the first two series, they win five of the last six games in Denver, and keep on rolling in what is turning out to be a very good summer for the team.
Outman blast starts the perfect day
Outman was a 7th round pick out of Sacramento State in 2018, but in this one, he played like he was the hottest prospect in MLB history. After a quiet first two innings for both teams, the Dodgers got on the board in the top of the 3rd, and Outman did the honors in his very first big league at-bat. Cody Bellinger starting things off with a shift-beating single to center that split the defense.
Then it was Outman’s time to shine. With his mom and dad and other assorted family members watching from the stands, Outman dug in to face Rockies starter German Marquez. Marquez is no innings-eating chump, mind you. He was an NL All-Star just last season. Outman went up there hacking, swinging at a center-cut bit of cheese and coming up empty. Then, he let the second pitch land just a bit low for ball one.
And it will be the third pitch of this at-bat that will be on repeat at the Outman house for a good long time to come. He got a pitch almost identical to the first, a sinker that hung up in the middle of the zone. Outman put a good swing on it and he didn’t miss. He blasted the ball high into the Colorado sky, sending it deep over the right centerfield fence for a no-doubt two-run shot that put the Dodgers up 2-0. After the game, Outman admitted to “blacking out” after the swing, but somehow he rounded the bases just fine, cementing himself into Dodger lore forever. He is just the 8th member of the team to homer in his very first plate appearance in the big leagues. And for a team that is over 100 years old, that’s saying something.
Gonsolin knocked around a bit, but goes five for the W
Meanwhile, the Dodgers still had a game to win. Tony Gonsolin took the mound in this one, looking to get back on the right track after a couple of not-so-great starts. Overall, he had a pretty good day, but the Rox put a crooked number up on him in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. First, catcher Brian Sevren led off with a solo home run to cut the Dodgers lead in half. Then, after a hit batsman, a walk, and a couple of singles, the Rockies had tacked on two more to take the lead. The big hit in the inning was a two-run single from Randall Grichuk, who’s had a fantastic series at the plate.
Still, after the “rocky” 3rd inning, Gonsolin settled down nicely. He retired the last seven men he faced and exited the game after the Dodgers had retaken the lead in the fourth. He extends his record for the season to 12-1, with a 2.41 ERA. Nice mid-game recalibration from the Cat Man. His line for the afternoon: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
Belli double puts Dodgers back on top
Gonsolin was able to get the win because of the two runs the Dodgers managed to push across in the top of the fourth. The rally started off when Jake Lamb drew a one-out walk. He moved to second on what could have been a double play ball off the bat of Gavin Lux. However, second baseman Brandon Rodgers muffed the play, and could only get Lux at first. When Max Muncy walked, there were two on with two out for Cody Bellinger. Belli got a four-seamer right where he like ’em (down in the zone), and he ripped it down the line. With both runners off at the crack of the bat and a bit of a misplay by Randall Grichuk in right, both runners were able to scamper home safely and the Dodgers were back on top 4-3
Outman keeps on keeping on
In the 6tn, they were able to tack on another run on a Max Muncy sac fly, and then in the 7th, the James Outman show resumed. The Dodger rookie scalded a single into right to lead off the inning, and then eventually came around to score on a Freddie Freeman double. Then, in the 8th, Outman hit a double of his own to drive in Gavin Lux with the Dodgers’ seventh run of the afternoon. Simply put, Outman’s performance was one of the most impressive debuts by any Dodger, ever. Whatever James Outman’s future holds, he’ll be able to look back on July 31, 2022 and smile.
On to San Francisco to bury the Giants
Yency Almonte, Alex Vesia, Phil Bickford, and Craig Kimbrel finished things up for the Dodgers on the mound. And while there were a few hiccups, the pen didn’t give up any runs and the Dodgers got out of down winning 3 of 4 from the Rockies. Next on the agenda: more NL West rivalry fun. First, four in San Francisco with the Giants, and then a weekend series back at the Ravine with the Padres. If the Dodgers put together a good week here, and it could be Game Over. The week starts with a battle of lefties: Andrew Heaney vs. Logan Webb. Hopefully Heaney can continue to build on the solid first step he made on Wednesday afternoon. Game time is 6:45 PDT. Let’s do this!
Cans of Corn…
- Outman is the first Dodger ever to hit a HR, get three hits, and drive in two in his major league debut.
- Outman said that when he went to pick up his gear from the stadium in OKC on Saturday morning, it was locked and he had to scramble around to find somebody with the keys to let him in. That was the last time he had trouble all weekend.
- Why isn’t Yency Almonte closing games?
- I think we officially need a moratorium on “Out, man” puns. Heard a few too many after this one. Not everyone is Chris Berman, guys.
- Chris Martin joined the team on Sunday, but did not pitch. Maybe on the flight, he can tell Cody Bellinger about the pitch of his Belli absolutely destroyed in Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS.
- The Dodgers 21-5 mark is the fourth best July record ever. Not just by the Dodgers. But by anybody. The 2017 Dodgers still hold the record at 20-3.
