Dodgers Recap: Teo’s homer delivers the win for May
Game 50, 5/21/2025: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 1
CHAVEZ RAVINE — Last week in the desert, Dustin May and Arizona ace Corbin Burnes locked horns, but May came out on the losing side, despite throwing a good outing against the Diamondbacks. This time, turnabout is fairplay; thanks to a three-run homer from the newly returned Teoscar Hernandez, Dustin May outdueled the former Cy Young winner and LA ended its homestand on an upnote, taking the rubber match of the series 3-1.
For the first third of the games, both pitchers were slinging filth and putting up zeroes. May gave up a lone hit, and Burnes navigated perfectly through the batter order. Then, in the top of the fourth, the Diamondbacks broke through. Ketel Marte, leading off the inning, absolutely obliterated a May sinker at the knees, sending it deep, deep, deep into the crowd in the right field pavilion.
And with that, the tie was broken, and once again the Dodgers were playing from behind, a habit that the team broke on Tuesday for all of 24 hours. The Dodgers got a hit in the bottom of the fourth as well, but it was only a Freddie Freeman single to break up the Burnes perfect streak. Sadly, a Teo strikeout left Freeman stranded on first, so the game moved to the fifth with LA still chasing a run.
While Burnes was cruising, May had to dig deep in the sixth. After a strikeout of Ketel Marte, May gave up a couple of hot grounders that made their way through the infield, and he found himself in a first-and-third situation with just one out. But May wasn’t having it. He got Eugenio Suarez to pop out in foul territory for out number two, and then got Pavin Smith to ground out to Max Muncy at third to finish his night. He bounded off the mound, screaming in elation for what would be one of his best outings of the year: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
The sixth turned out to be the pivotal inning for the offense as well. On a two-strike count, Miguel Rojas managed to touch Burnes for an infield single. Then, Shohei Ohtani just missed a homer, instead flying to right for the first out. Then, Mookie also managed to sneak a hot groundball through the infield for a single. Suddenly, it looked like a threat was brewing against the D-backs’ ace.
But Freddie Freeman struck out, leaving it all up to Teoscar Hernandez, still in search of his first hit since returning from the IL.
And hit it he did. After chasing a couple of cutters (and looking bad while he was doing it), Hernandez fell into a 1-2 hole. Then, Burnes went away from the cutter, and instead dialed up the slider. The pitch caught way too much of the plate, and Teoscar pounced, drilling the ball into centerfield. It sailed into the batter’s eye and just like that, the Dodgers had all the offense they would need in this one. Three-run jack. Muy bueno, Teo!
Now, all the Dodgers had to do was navigate the final three innings with the recently struggling pen. Jack Dreyer got the seventh, but after surrendering two singles, he gave way to Lou Trivino for the final out of the inning. He got Ketel Marte to hit a weak bouncer to the right side, and with that mission accomplished. Trivino stayed out there for the eighth, and delivered a 1-2-3 inning before Doc made a pitching change for the ninth….
Fear not, Dodger fans. Despite his rough one on Tuesday, Scott was great in this one, putting the D-backs down in order, striking out Lourdes Gurriel for the final out after seven-pitch battle. Game Over. Order restored.
So the Dodgers end this meh homestand at 4-5. Still, two series wins. If we could only eliminate that Angel series from our collective memories, everything would be fine.
After a travel day on Thursday, the Dodgers begin what could be the toughest section of their schedule. Almost a full month of contenders on the calendar with no place to hide or slough off a bad game. First stop: Queens, New York and a date with the Mets. The Mets are scuffling a little bit on their current road trip, so the Dodgers might be catching them at exactly the right time. We shall see. Each game of the weekend series will be nationally televised. Friday night, on Apple TV+. Saturday, the game will be on Fox. And Sunday evening, it’s the Game of the Week on ESPN.
Clayton Kershaw takes to the mound on Friday against former Angel Griffin Canning (5-1, 2.47 ERA, 46 SO), who seems to have found another level with the Mets. Game time on Friday night, 4:10 PDT, so find an excuse to sneak out of work a little early. Let’s go!
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