CHAVEZ RAVINE — The Dodgers must have been a little testy after losing to the A’s on Tuesday night. Because for the next two nights, they absolutely annihilated their opponent. A 9-3 win on Wednesday and a 19-2 destruction on Thursday night. This latest mauling featured home runs from just about everyone in the batting order, including two from bobblehead boy Shohei Ohtani. It. Was. Awesome.
Matt Sauer was the first one out on this bullpen night, and he started off with a little trouble with his command, walking the first two Athletics in the top of the first. Of course, it didn’t help that he got squeezed big time from home plate umpire Dan Merzel. However, the free passes came back to hurt him with catcher Shea Langeliers ripped a double into the right field corner to score a run and put the A’s on the board. However, that would be all that they’d get, and the Dodgers headed to the bat rack in the first trailing by one.
The A’s’ early lead lasted all of four batters. In the bottom of the first, after an Ohtani K, Mookie Betts worked a walk off starter Osvaldo Bido and stole second (more of this, please). Then, Betts scampered home when Freddie Freeman ripped a single into the right field corner. With the score now tied, Max Muncy stepped up to the plate, hungry to build on his mammoth shot from Tuesday night. He did just that, ripping a second homer in as many nights (third of the year) down the right field line to put the Dodgers in the lead 3-1. This is another positive sign out of Muncy, who would be a most welcome addition to the big bats at the top of the lineup card.
The A’s cut the lead in half in the top of the second with a solo home run from Max Schuemann, but the Dodgers pounced on Bido once again in the bottom of the inning. Dalton Rushing, making his first big league start at catcher, worked a leadoff walk to get his feet wet in the MLB. After the obligatory James Outman strikeout, Hyeseong Kim singled Rushing to third. A sacrifice fly scored Rushing from third, but the Dodgers weren’t done. Kim stole second and scored on Mookie Betts’ single to left. Then, Freddie Freeman moved Betts into scoring position with a single of his own. That chased Bido from the ballgame after just 1.2 innings. Enter Jason Alexander (insert your own Seinfeld joke here), who surrendered ANOTHER hit to Max Muncy for another run. Just like that, it was 6-2 Dodgers and the game was looking very much in LA’s control.
Things got even better in the third. Dalton Rushing notched his first big league hit, a single up the middle, and then came around to score after an Outman walk and a Kim single. That turned over the lineup, and then, natch, Shohei went yard, an oppo taco three-run job. Then, because of course, Andy Pages added ANOTHER three-run homer, and Katie, bar the door, it was 13-2.
The Dodgers continued to pile on with Shohei hitting his second homer of the night in the fourth, and James Outman (yes, James Outman) hitting another in the sixth. Finally, in the eighth, the Dodger added three more, courtesy of an Kim double, a Rojas single, and a Muncy sacrfice fly. In all, there were five Dodgers with multiple hit nights in this onslaught: Ohtani, Freeman, Muncy, Rushing, and Kim.
Not that it mattered much, the Dodgers got a good game from the bullpen. After Sauer went four innings, Anthony Banda threw the fifth, and then recently recalled Justin Wrobleski finished out the game with four more innings. Sweet!
Having dispensed with one California (for now) opponent in the A’s, the Dodgers stay at home for the first installment of this year’s Freeway Series over the weekend as they take on the cellar-dwelling Angels. It’s going to be righty Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 5.23 ERA, 24 SO) on the mound for the Halos, with Dustin May named for the Friday opener. Of course, the highlight of the weekend will come on Saturday, when Clayton Kershaw returns to the bump for the Boys in Blue. Lots of tickets still available. Head down to the Ravine to cheer the team on to a win!
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
