Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ magic number is two. Neither Jack Flaherty nor Dylan Cease had their best stuff. The Dodgers’ bullpen outperformed the Padres’ bullpen. Twice, Shohei Ohtani put his team in front. Gavin Lux had two important singles. The Dodgers inched out the Padres 4-to-3.
Jack Flaherty made his biggest start for his hometown team. With one out in the first, Flaherty walked Fernando Tatis, Jr. He got a double play to face the minimum.
Shohei Ohtani walked to open the game. A wild pitch advanced Ohtani to second. Teoscar Hernández singled in Ohtani. Max Muncy walked. The Dodgers stranded Hernández and Muncy.
Flaherty issued a walk to Manny Machado. He gave up a double to put runners on second and third. He allowed a run-scoring single. Another run scored on a ground ball. Flaherty didn’t allow anything else.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second.
Tatis doubled with an out in the third. With two outs, Flaherty walked Machado who promptly stole second. Flaherty got out of the jam scorelessly.
With two outs in the third, Freddie Freeman singled. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Flaherty had a perfect fourth inning.
With two outs in the fourth, Tommy Edman doubled and scored on Gavin Lux’s single. Miguel Rojas walked. Ohtani doubled in Lux and Rojas to third.
Flaherty allowed a solo home run to Tatis with two outs in the fifth. Flaherty finished the inning without allowing any more damage.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the fifth.
Alex Vesia relieved Flaherty in the sixth. With two outs, Vesia issued a walk, but the runner was caught stealing.
Both Will Smith and Edman walked to open the sixth. Ohtani singled in Smith and moved Edman to third. Ohtani stole his 56th base of the season. Mookie Betts popped it up to finish the inning.
Vesia continued pitching in the seventh and issued a walk. Evan Phillips relieved Vesia in the seventh. Phillips was brilliant in the seventh.
Freeman doubled to start the seventh. Muncy walked. The Dodgers wasted the scoring opportunity.
Blake Treinen relieved Phillips in the eighth with a perfect inning on seven pitches.
Lux singled with an out in the eighth. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Michael Kopech relieved Treinen in the ninth. With two outs, he issued a walk and allowed a stolen base. He preserved the victory.
