Dodgers Team News

Game Recap: Dodgers Move to 5-2 Behind David Freese’s Clutch Gene

The Dodgers looked to the take the series against the rival San Francisco Giants. The club sent 2018 All-Star Ross Stripling (8-6, 3.02 ERA) to the hill against a much-improved southpaw in Derek Holland (7-9, 3.57 ERA).

1st Inning:

Ross Stripling got off to a strong start for the Dodgers with a 1-2-3 inning getting groundouts from Steven Duggar, Joe Panik, and Evan Longoria.

The Dodgers got things going early as we have become accustomed to so far this season. Enrique Hernandez led the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot for the early lead. A struggling Justin Turner then proceeded to strike out. Derek Holland struggled with control walking both David Freese and Corey Seager consecutively. AJ Pollock then popped up for the second out. Then, staying hot, Cody Bellinger came up with a big two-run single to extend the Dodgers’ lead to two. Chris Taylor then ended the inning with a strikeout, but not before the Dodgers struck first.

2-0, Dodgers.

2nd Inning:

Stripling gave more of the same in the second with another 1-2-3 inning, getting Brandon Belt to fly out, Brandon Crawford to ground out, and Kevin Pillar to line out.

Derek Holland matched Strip’s effort in the second with a 1-2-3 inning of his own. Austin Barnes and Ross Stripling both flew out and Enrique Hernandez popped out.

2-0, Dodgers.

3rd Inning:

Gerardo Parra singled to left field to start things off in the third inning but was gunned out trying to take second on the play. The Giants asked for an official review, but the call on the field was upheld. Erik Kratz quickly followed that with a popout and Derek Holland struck out swinging.

Justin Turner struck out a second time. David Freese flew out. Corey Seager walked. AJ Pollock grounded out to end the inning.

2-0, Dodgers.

4th Inning:

The Giants hit it big in the fourth to take the lead. Four of the first five batters in the inning reached safely. Steven Duggar, quickly making a name for himself, pounded a 407 foot bomb over the right field fence to cut the Dodgers’ lead in half. Joe Panik grounded out for out number one. Evan Longoria followed up with a single and Brandon Belt promptly sent a ball 402 feet into the seats to take the lead. Brandon Crawford singled. Kevin Pillar then grounded out and was hit with a batter’s interference call. Crawford moved to second on a wild pitch. Gerardo Parra walked and Erik Kratz was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Derek Holland who was retired on a flyout.

Derek Holland continued his fantastic outing with a striking out of the side: Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, and Austin Barnes.

3-2, Giants.

5th Inning:

Ross Stripling looked better in the fifth inning getting strikeouts of both Steven Duggar and Evan Longoria. Joe Panik singled, but Brandon Belt grounded out to end it.

The Dodgers threatened, but nobody crossed the plate for the Boys in Blue in the fifth. Ross Stripling grounded out but Enrique Hernandez doubled with one away. JT struck out for a third time, matching his three-K game total from the 2017-2018 combined. David Freese walked with two away. Corey Seager grounded into a force out to end things in the fifth inning.

3-2, Giants.

6th Inning:

Chicken Strip led a 1-2-3 effort in the sixth, inducing three groundouts from Brandon Crawford, Kevin Pillar, and Gerardo Parra.

Sam Dyson came on to pitch the sixth in relief of a solid effort from Derek Holland. Holland tossed five innings of two-run ball, allowing three hits and four walks, striking out seven. Dyson led a 1-2-3 effort, striking out AJ Pollock and Cody Bellinger, and getting a weak groundout from Chris Taylor.

3-2, Giants.

7th Inning:

Ross Stripling got one out in the seventh, getting Erik Kratz to fly out. Scott Alexander came on in relief. Stripling led a solid effort, tossing 6+ innings of three-run ball, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out three. Scott Alexander looked frankly unhittable, getting the sinker going. He induced a weak Pablo Sandoval groundout and struck out Steven Duggar for the third out.

The Dodgers struck back in the seventh, re-taking the lead. Reyes Moronta came on in relief of Sam Dyson and the Dodgers capitalized. Austin Barnes quickly doubled. Alex Verdugo struck out in A-ball fashion. Enrique Hernandez walked, getting on base once again. Justin Turner flew out to move Barnes to third. The Dodgers did all their damage with two outs. David Freese went to the opposite field for a two-run double to take the lead. Tony Watson came in for Reyes Moronta and retired Corey Seager with ease.

4-3, Dodgers.

8th Inning:

Caleb Ferguson came in for the eighth inning and he looked damn good. He retired the side on six pitches.

Tony Watson continued on in the eighth inning for the Giants. AJ Pollock took a ball REALLY deep to the left-center gap but the fly was caught at the wall for an out. Cody Bellinger then had an absolutely terrific hustle infield single with one away to bring up CT3. The ice-cold Chris Taylor came up big with an opposite-field triple to score Bellinger and double the lead. Mark Melancon came on in relief of a beaten Tony Watson. Austin Barnes grounded out sharply to third and CT3 was cut down at the plate. Joc Pederson pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot and grounded out softly to end the inning.

5-3, Dodgers.

9th Inning:

California Love played in the ninth. Kenley Jansen came on and looked solid, even though not particularly on the radar gun. He sat 89-91 mph with the cutter and even threw an 83 mph cutter. Brandon Crawford struck out on a cutter upstairs. Kevin Pillar flew out softly to right field. Gerardo Parra grounded out to first to end the game!

Results

W: Scott Alexander (1-0)

L: Reyes Moronta (0-1)

SV: Kenley Jansen (3)

Next Up:

The Dodgers hit the road to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies at 1:10 PT. The Dodgers will send Kenta Maeda (8-10, 3.81 ERA) to the mound against Tyler Anderson (7-9, 4.55 ERA). Don’t miss it!

Daniel Preciado

My name is Daniel Preciado and I am 19 years old. I am a sophomore Sport Analytics major and Cognitive Science and Economics dual minor at Syracuse University. When I am not in New York, I live in Whittier, California --- not too far from Chavez Ravine. I am pretty old-school for being an analytics guy and I will always embrace debate. Also, Chase Utley did absolutely nothing wrong.

4 Comments

  1. We finished our first two series, and winning both. The BP is weak and unreliable. On Friday, the competition gets tougher : Colorado in Colorado, and no lead is safe. Its time to see just how good the team is. Go Blue!!!

  2. I know it is a small sample 7-games or roughly 1/27th of the season, but I was concerned about Freese’ lack of hitting. Huge hit last night. Thank you David Freese! Perhaps if he was playing 1B in place of Muncy i.e. late inning defensive replacement perhaps the Dodgers don’t make that error.

    1. Hello Robin and BLUE LOU! I am a bit surprised to read that Kenley will make this Denver trip, what with happened to him last year. But perhaps these games won’t dictate him having to close games. Ross Stripling ….Deja Vu, as he served up 2 HR’s last night and if it were not for Freese 2 base hit, those HR’s would have been enough to sink the ship last night. In Colorado the pitching will be key for us but we will need to realize that scoring just 3 or 4 runs may just not be enough so WSS.

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