The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 6-2 win against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, July 30th, with a familiar combination from the veteran squad.
The Dodgers put together another signature win vs. the Mariners, with good pitching and timely hits to ease their way through.
Most impressively, LA did so without Shohei Ohtani, who was rested with left knee soreness, making his second game of the season lost to his knee issue.
However, Roki Sasaki and the bullpen made sure that the Dodgers did not need the super slugger’s bat tonight.
Roki Sasaki and the bullpen dominate
Sasaki threw a gem for 90% of his outing, with true swing-and-miss stuff among some of the elite pitchers in the sport. His splitter had hitters on the back foot, while his fastball continues to trend upwards.
Hitters are being so aggressive with Sasaki given his propensity to give up hard contact, but tonight, it backfired as he mixed in the offspeed with the heater very well.
He got into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing two runs before being pulled, but his bullpen picked him up.
Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, Tanner Scott, and Edwin Diaz all had varying levels of success, but overall, they did their job and helped the Dodgers take the win.
Dreyer looked the best, coming in with the bases loaded to get Sasaki out of the jam, all while not giving up a hit or walk. Every other pitcher had a baserunner or two.
Dalton Crushing strikes again
Dalton Rushing hit a three-run homer against the Mainers, which proved to be the big difference-maker.
It came on a good slider from Bryan Woo, but Rushing just put a better swing on the pitch and sent it over the wall.
His power is so impressive and really sets him apart as a catching prospect. Catchers rarely have the power that Rushing has, along with his hit tool and eye at the plate.
His three-run shot is exactly why the Dodgers view him as a key part of the future.
In addition to Rushing’s offense, Mookie Betts delivered a clutch hit in the first inning to score two runs and give Sasaki an early lead.
The Dodgers needed two of their scuffling hitters to deliver, and they got just that heading into a series against the red-hot Boston Red Sox.
