Steve Webb
3/18/2024: Dodgers 5, Team Korea 2
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — If the first exhibition game was a chance to showcase the Dodger bats, the second contest in Seoul was an opportunity to show the world two very promising righthanders looking to make an impact in 2024: Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone. Both were solid, Stone particularly so, in a 5-2 Dodger victory in the wee small hours of the morning LA Time.
Bobby Miller, who looks to be the third starter in the Dodgers’ rotation once the team returns to the States, opened the game with two scoreless innings. The Dodgers, who were the home team in this one, got on the board right away in the first inning, thanks to a bloop single from Max Muncy, which dropped in right in front of the Team Korea outfielders, who were playing deep in respect of Muncy power. With two outs, Mookie Betts was off from second with the crack of the bat and easily scored the game’s first run.
However, Team Korea shot into the lead in the top of the third when Bobby Miller gave up a couple quick hits to start off the inning. Left fielder Seong Yoon Kim singled and second baseman Hye Seong Kim doubled to put Kims on second and third with nobody out. Miller didn’t give up another hit in the inning, but an infield out and a sac fly pushed to runs across for the Koreans and put them up 2-1.
The Dodgers bounced right back in the bottom of the frame. With the top of the order coming up, they got a couple of walks sandwiched around a Shohei Ohtani flyout and had Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on base for the middle of the lineup. Will Smith came through with a double to the right field gap that scored both Betts and Freeman and put the Dodgers back on top. At first, it looked like Freeman might be out at home, but he managed to slide under a bit of a slow tag from the team Korea catcher, whose name, you guessed it, is Kim.
The Dodgers added a final run in the seventh on a Chris Taylor solo homer, but the story of the game was probably what happened in innings 6, 7, and 8. Gavin Stone came on in relief of Bobby Miller and absolutely mowed down the the Korean hitters. He went 3.1 innings for the Dodgers and dominated every second that he was on the mound. He struck out eight, getting a lot of swing and miss along the way. It was yet another strong case that Stone should start the season in the rotation, a decision that is now official.
“I think what stands out most with Gavin is maturity,” said manager Dave Roberts. “When you see a young player, you can tell… things speed up. And now, things seem to have slowed down for him, and on the mound, the misses are the “right” misses; there’s much more consistent execution, and the stuff is holding.”
Gavin Stone is about to hit the big time. Again. But this time around, he looks ready.
