Thursday, May 15, 2025
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025
On a Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Athletics 19-to-2. Max Muncy, Andy Pages, James Outman, and Shohei Ohtani had home runs. Matt Sauer, Anthony Banda, and Justin Wrobleski were brilliant. In his major league debut, Dalton Rushing had two singles. The Dodgers lead the San Diego Padres by a game in the National League Western Division.
The Dodgers demoted F.P. Feyereisen and promoted Justin Wrobleski. While Thursday is a bullpen game, the Dodgers know they can’t continue having bullpen games regularly. Already the Dodger bullpen has pitched over 150 innings to lead the major leagues, and the bullpen has been showing signs of fatigue and ineffectiveness.
Matt Sauer made his first major league start against the Athletics. He walked the lead-off batter. He issued another walk. He allowed a run-scoring double with two outs. He got out of the jam.
With an out, Mookie Betts walked and stole second. Freddie Freeman doubled in Betts. Max Muncy launched the ball into outer space for a two-run homer.
With two outs in the second, Sauer allowed a solo home run.
To open the second, Dalton Rushing walked in his first major league at-bat. Hyeseong Kim singled Rushing to third. Shohei Ohtani’s sacrifice fly scored Rushing. Kim stole second. Betts singled in Kim. Freeman singled Betts to third. Muncy singled in Betts and moved Freeman to third. Muncy singled in Betts and moved Freeman to third.
In the third, Sauer was perfect.
Rushing collected his first major league hit, a single, with one out in the third. James Outman walked. Kim singled in Rushing and moved Outman to second. Ohtani hit a three-run homer. Betts walked. Muncy walked. Andy Pages hit a three-run homer. Michael Conforto doubled.
Sauer was perfect in the fourth.
With an out in the fourth, Kim walked. Ohtani blasted a two-run homer.
Anthony Banda relieved Sauer in the fifth, and with an out, he issued a walk. Thanks to a double play started by Muncy, Banda faced the minimum in the inning.
The Dodgers went down in order in the fifth.
Justin Wrobleski relieved Banda in the sixth with a perfect inning.
Outman socked a solo home run with an out in the sixth. Kim walked but was erased on a force play by Ohtani.
Wrobleski continued pitching in the seventh and allowed a lead-off single. He faced the minimum thanks to a double play.
With an out in the seventh, Muncy singled.
Wrobleski continued pitching in the eighth with a perfect frame.
To start the eighth, Rushing had an infield single. Outman singled him to second. Kim doubled in Rushing and moved Outman to third. Miguel Rojas singled in Outman. Kiké Hernández walked to load the bases. Muncy’s sacrifice fly scored Kim.
Wrobleski continued pitching in the ninth. He earned his first major league save.
