Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — This Dodger team is the least home run dependent team in over 30 years. Not in this one though. The Dodgers had no problem with the drag on the baseball in this one, bashing four home runs to erase an Diamondbacks 3-0 lead, and lead them to a 7-6 victory in the first half of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Pepiot gives up three two-out runs
It was Ryan Pepiot‘s second career start in this one, and the rookie showed definite signs of improvement. He was still pretty inefficient, needing nearly 90 pitches to get through only four innings, but he walked fewer guys, and for the most part made the pitches he needed to. The lone blemish to a good day was in the top of the third. After two quick outs, Pepiot walked Josh Rojas and things got a little dicey after that. A passed ball from Will Smith sent Rojas to second. Pepiot got Pavin Smith to two strikes before he knocked a run-scoring single into right to put the D-backs on the board.
But the big blow of the inning came with the next hitter, Dodger nemesis Christian Walker. Walker banged a 2-2 pitched into the left centerfield pavilion, and just like that the Snakes were ahead 3-0.
Four homers give Dodgers the lead
Meanwhile, Arizona Tyler Gilbert was dealing. He mowed through the Dodgers in the early going, needing barely a dozen pitches per inning to get through the batting order. But in the bottom of the fourth, a crack appeared in the dam. Will Smith, who had already homered off Gilbert earlier in the season, jacked a solo shot to cut the deficit to 3-1.
But it was the bottom of the 6th when the dam burst completely. Hanser Alberto led off the inning by banging a single into left. That got the Dodgers to the top of the order, and they were ready to pounce on Gilbert. Mookie Betts struck first in the inning, ripping his third home run of the homestand to score Alberto and tie up the game. Trea Turner followed it up with a solo shot of his own to put the Dodgers on top. Then, after a Will Smith ground out and a Max Muncy walk, it was Justin Turner‘s turn to leave the yard. He hit his third homer of the season to centerfield to give the Dodgers a seemingly comfortable 6-3 lead.
Home run, sloppy D lets the Snakes back in the game
After Justin Briuhl recorded four outs to relieve Pepiot, Ryan White came into the game for his first appearance since April 23. White, who had been on the Covid IL, looked good in his first inning of work, but things got a little sloppy in the seventh. After White struck out the first hitter of the inning, he gave up a solo home run to Alek Thomas to cut the score to 6-4. Then a couple of misplays by Hanser Alberto on groundballs led to a fifth Arizona run, making things way too close for comfort.
Betts and Freeman add insurance
The Dodgers came right back to score in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Mookie Betts smacked his third hit of the day when he pulled a solid double into the left field corner. With his performance today, Betts’s OPS is over 1.00 over the last week. That brought up Freddie Freeman, the only Dodger hitter not to reach base on the day. Freeman quickly rectified that, banging an opposite field single to score Betts and give the Dodgers a little more breathing room. The score was now 7-5 and that seventh run would prove to be the difference in the game.
Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth for his second save in as many nights. And gladly, this time he didn’t give up any home runs. However, he got jobbed by the umpire on a check swing call and Geraldo Perdomo came around to score on an infield single from Ketel Marte. Luckily, with Marte on first, Kimbrel was able to strike out Jordan Luplow to end the game. Whew!
Cans of Corn…
- Justin Turner continues to swing a good bat, collecting yet another extra base hit on this homestand.
- Hanser Alberto was not great in the field in this one. The Dodgers continue to win in spite of, not due to, their defense.
- With Justin Briuhl and Mitch White activated today, Michael Grove is back to Tulsa.
- Blake Treinen transferred to 60-day IL today. Not great.
- Tommy Kahnle also goes to the IL, this time with forearm issues.
- Caleb Ferguson, who pitched in Monday’s game, was optioned to OKC. Hopefully, he’ll be back for more soon.
- Dave Roberts got ejected questioning the check swing call in the bottom of the 9th. Doc was right. It was a BS call.
