Friday, August 9, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
On a night at Dodger Stadium when the Dodgers inducted Dusty Baker into Legends of Dodger Baseball, the Dodgers did everything right. Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Kiké Hernàndez blasted home runs. Jack Flaherty pitched well in his Dodger Stadium debut, and the bullpen performed well. The Los Angeles Dodgers socked the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-to-5 on a hot Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Los Angeles Dodgers honored Dusty Baker as they inducted him in Legends in Dodger Baseball. From 1976 to 1983, Baker roamed left field also known as “Baker’s field.” As a Bakersfield native, he loved the Dodgers. In 1977, he became one of the foursome, the first in baseball, to hit thirty or more home runs. He played an integral role in the 1981 World Championship Dodgers. Dusty was my favorite Dodger as a kid, so I had difficulty rooting against him when he managed the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Houston Astros. I celebrated in 2022 when the Astros won the World Series because Baker finally won the world championship as a manager.
Jack Flaherty, a childhood Dodger fan, debuted at Dodger Stadium. He allowed a lead-off double, but he must have been dealing with butterflies. Flaherty retired the next three batters, including two strikeouts.
Freddie Freeman blasted a solo home run with two outs in the first.
Flaherty hurled a perfect second inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second.
In the third with one out, Flaherty allowed a double but didn’t allow the Pirates to score.
After a walk to Andy Pages, Shohei Ohtani blasted his 35th home run of the season in the third. Teoscar Hernàndez walked. Freeman doubled. Will Smith singled in Hernàndez and Freeman. Smith advanced to second on a wild pitch. Miguel Rojas singled in Smith. Rojas stole second.
Flaherty allowed a solo home run in the fourth. With an out, he allowed a single. With two outs, he gave up another single. He got out of the jam.
On his birthday, Jason Heyward doubled to start the fourth and scored on Teoscar Hernández’s single. Hernández stole second but was stranded.
After an out in the fifth, Flaherty allowed two singles, and with two outs, he gave up a three-run homer. He got out of the inning.
To lead off the fifth, Smith walked. Kiké Hernàndez blasted a two-run homer with two outs.
Flaherty started the sixth, but Anthony Banda relieved Flaherty with a scoreless inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the sixth.
Banda continued pitching in the seventh. With one out, he allowed a double but didn’t allow a run.
Freeman opened the seventh with a walk and stole second. The Dodgers stranded Freeman.
Evan Phillips pitched a perfect eighth inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the eighth.
Daniel Hudson issued a walk with an out in the ninth. Though Hudson allowed a run, he could close out the victory.
