Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
With no bees to delay the game, the Los Angeles Dodgers swatted the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-to-0. They finished a grueling 3-city, 9-game road trip with 7 wins and 2 losses.
When the Dodgers decided to rest Shohei Ohtani for the first time this season, they exploded for eight runs. Again, the bottom of the lineup contributed greatly to the final score. When the Dodgers promoted Andy Pages from Triple-A, the complexion of the lineup changed. This victory had every facet of the Dodger game excelled.
After the Diamondbacks went to the 2023 World Series, they have struggled out of the gate. Many players are injured or under performing. Most baseball-knowledgeable people expect the Diamondbacks will compete for one of the National League Wild Cards.
Tuesday, the Dodgers placed Ryan Brasier on the 10-day IL with a calf injury. According to Dave Roberts, it will be a while before Brasier will be activated. With Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Brasier, the Dodger bullpen is short-handed. Hopefully, Treinen will return during the home stand.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a dominant first inning despite allowing a double. He had his customary excellent control. Since Yamamoto pitched in Arizona during spring training, he demonstrated he knew how to pitch in an arid climate.
Yamamoto pitched a perfect third even though he had no strikeouts. At the end of the season, Yamamoto should win a National League Gold Glove. He pitched a scoreless fourth with a strikeout.
As the game proceeded, Yamamoto’s pitches became nastier, and he gave the bullpen a well-deserved rest. He hurled a scoreless sixth. In this outing, Yamamoto had everything working.
In the second inning, with Kiké Hernandez’s walk, Andy Pages launched the ball for a homer. Miguel Rojas doubled, and Chris Taylor walked. Austin Barnes doubled in Rojas and moved Taylor to third. Mookie Betts’ single scored both Taylor and Barnes.
Will Smith socked a home run to open the third inning. With two outs, Rojas singled.
With an out in the fourth inning, Betts singled, but Freddie Freeman hit into a double play.
Taylor started the sixth with a single but didn’t score.
Teoscar Hernandez singled in the seventh, and K. Hernandez walked. Rojas and Taylor collected a RBI with a walk.
J. P. Feyereisen, who returned to the major leagues Wednesday, began the seventh inning with a walk to Corbin Carroll, who has had an awful year after winning the National League Rookie of the Year. A double play erased Carroll, and Feyereisen faced the minimum. In the eighth, he allowed a single but retired the next two hitters.
Betts singled to open the eighth but was left.
Gus Varland entered the eighth with two outs and walked the first batter he faced. He got the last out of the inning thanks to a fantastic play by shortstop Betts.
