Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
In front of a full Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, Decoy set the tone for the game when he ran out the first pitch to his owner Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani homered and stole two bases. Teoscar Hernández blasted a three-run homer. Walker Buehler pitched the best since he had his second Tommy John surgery, and the bullpen was great. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have the best record in the major leagues, beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-to-4.
For the second consecutive game, Freddie Freeman wasn’t starting. He still needed to rest the hairline fracture in his middle finger.
Decoy threw out the first pitch. Decoy was the first dog to throw the first pitch at a major league game.
Walker Buehler has had a difficult time during the first inning this year. Wednesday he threw a perfect first inning.
Shohei Ohtani blasted his 42nd home run of the year to open the game.
Max Muncy’s throwing error marred Buehler’s second inning with an out. Buehler struck out the batter, but Will Smith didn’t throw fast enough to first. He allowed a two-run single. If Buehler had better defense, he would have been out of the inning scorelessly. Buehler gave up a bloop single to score a run. He gave up a double. He finally got out of the inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second inning.
To open the third, Gavin Lux made a spectacular defensive play. Buehler allowed a single with an out. He escaped the third scorelessly.
Kiké Hernández reached on an error with one out in the third, and Ohtani singled Hernández to second. Mookie Betts singled Hernández in and moved Ohtani to second. Ohtani stole his 41st base of the year as a part of a double steal. Teoscar Hernández blasted a three-run homer, his 28th of the season.
Buehler hit a batter to start the fourth, but the runner was erased on a force play. He let the runner steal second. He got out of the fourth scorelessly.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the fourth.
With two outs in the fifth, Buehler walked his first batter of the night. He allowed a run-scoring double.
Dave Roberts lifted Buehler, who pitched the best since his second Tommy John surgery. Anthony Banda came in with two outs in the fifth retiring the last batter of the inning.
To open the fifth, Kiké Hernández singled but was erased on a force play by Ohtani. Ohtani stole his 42nd base of the season and went to third on a wild pitch. Lux reached on an error that scored Ohtani. Lux stole second but was stranded.
Banda continued pitching in the sixth. He finished the inning scorelessly.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the sixth.
Ryan Brasier relieved Banda in the seventh. He allowed a single to start the inning
With two outs in the seventh, Roberts relieved Brasier with Alex Vesia, who retired the last batter.
In the seventh, the Dodgers didn’t do anything.
Evan Phillips relieved Vesia with a perfect eighth inning.
The Dodgers went quietly in the eighth.
Michael Kopech relieved Phillips in the ninth. He was perfect as he preserved the victory.
