Saturday, April 6, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
On a cold Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-to-1. For the first time this season, the Dodgers didn’t score five runs.
Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded a minor league pitcher to the Philadelphia Phillies for Connor Brogdon. Brogdon was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Since the Dodgers need a rested pitcher to give them length, they DFAed Dinelson Lamet and recalled Gus Varland. Dave Roberts hopes Lamet will rejoin the Dodgers at some point this season.
To open the game, Mookie Betts walked, Shohei Ohtani singled, but they were stranded.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed a game-opening double to Ian Happ, walked the next batter, and Cody Bellinger had an infield single to load the bases. Then, Yamamoto struck out the side. A Max Muncy error loaded the bases for the Cubs in the second, but Yamamoto struck out Bellinger to end the threat. As the game progressed, his splitter improved, and for the game, he had a good rainbow curveball.
After five innings and hurling 92 pitches, Yamamoto allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out eight.
Kiké Hernández opened the second inning with a single, Miguel Rojas singled, but they were stranded.
Muncy doubled to start the fourth and moved to third on Kiké Hernández’s grounder. Muncy was stranded.
Austin Barnes began the fifth with a single, Ohtani singled to the left, Freddie Freeman struck out, and Barnes scored on a wild pitch. Muncy’s single drove in two runs.
With two outs in the sixth, Barnes singled but was stranded.
Ryan Brasier allowed a single but struck out the side in the sixth.
Ohtani walked to start the seventh, but Freeman hit into the double play.
Joe Kelly hurled a perfect seventh inning.
Against Yency Almonte, Chris Taylor reached on an error and scored on Rojas’ single in the eighth.
Daniel Hudson pitched around a Betts’ throwing error in the eighth.
Betts walked in the ninth but was stranded.
Evan Phillips allowed a single and double good for a run and walked a batter but closed out the victory.
