Dodgers avoid post-clinch hangover, defeat Mariners 3-2

The Dodgers (91-69) opened their final regular season series against the American League West-champion Mariners (90-70) and hung on while hungover to defeat them 3-2 Friday night at T-Mobile Park. 

Although the game’s results didn’t matter much in the standings, it was perhaps a preview of a possible World Series match up between the two division winners. It’s often customary to rest starters post-clinch, and the Dodgers did just that without Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman or Freddie Freeman in the starting lineup.

Emmet Sheehan made his last start of the regular season. Sheehan’s healthy, but he was taken out early after the first inning in anticipation of his postseason relief role. It was essentially a bullpen game for the Dodgers.

Fellow right-hander George Kirby used his elevated fastball to strike out the side in the first inning.

Perhaps the Dodgers were hungover from the festivities in Phoenix the day prior. They came out with an extremely sloppy defensive first inning and committed two errors.

Randy Arozarena singled on a soft ground ball to third baseman Enrique Hernández, reminiscent of the small ball hits the D-backs used against them in the last series.

Sheehan got a big strikeout of Cal Raleigh using his slider, but the defense fell apart thereafter.

Julio Rodríguez reached on a fielding error by Michael Conforto who let a routine play soar over his head in left field. Arozarena scored to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead.

A throwing error by pitcher Sheehan on a pickoff attempt ultimately didn’t cause more damage, but the 22-pitch first spurred the Dodgers bullpen to start to stir. The start was essentially a tune-up before the Wild Card series for Sheehan who will pitch out of the pen.

The first base hit of the game for the Dodgers, a Dalton Rushing infield single, was akin to the hit the Mariners lead off the game with.

Kiké Hernández flipped the score for the Dodgers with a two-run home run to left field off Kirby to make it 2-1 in the top of the third.

Big Dumper opened the bottom of the third with a single off Justin Wrobleski who pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Josh Naylor singled to right field with one out, and Raleigh went first to third. Naylor stole second base for his 30th SB of the season for the M’s.

The Mariners apparently haven’t read the scouting report on the arm of Andy Pages. Eugenio Suárez flied into a double play after Pages threw a rocket to Hernandez to get Naylor out at third. Raleigh didn’t get to home plate before Suárez was tagged out, erasing the tying run.

The Dodgers added a third run with two on two out in the top of the sixth. Eduard Bazardo locked in and struck out Hyeseong Kim and Miguel Rojas with two runners on and nobody out. Dalton Rushing came up with the first hit of the game with runners in scoring position to chase Bazardo from the game.

Will Klein and Anthony Banda helped preserve the lead with scoreless performances out of the pen.

Roki Sasaki got the ball in the bottom of the seventh for his second MLB relief outing. Kiké Hernández made a nice play from deep at third to retire J.P. Crawford  and backup Sasaki. Cole Young was stunned and struck out on his 100-mph four-seam fastball.

Arozarena just missed a home run, but his two-out double off the wall brought up Raleigh with a man on and two outs. Sasaki came back with his nasty splitter to get the dangerous Raleigh to strike out and strand the runner.

Blake Treinen came in for the eighth, and that’s when things got dicey. A pitch clock violation, a Raley single on a ground ball to Rojas at second, and a Dominic Canzone RBI hit made it a 3-2 game.

Tanner Scott had another relief appearance with mixed results. He struck out Arozarena with heat, but allowed a double to Big Dumper with the slider. Dave Roberts intentionally walked Julio Rodríguez to put the winning run on with two outs. Tanner hit Mitch Garver with a pitch to load the bases. Eugenio Suárez was swinging for the fences. Scott finally earned some redemption with a strikeout of Suárez with the slider to end the game.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Kiké Hernández (10)

WP — Justin Wrobleski (5-5): 2 IP, 3 hits, no runs, no walks, 3 strikeouts (40 pitches)

LP — George Kirby (10-8): 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts (85 pitches)

S — Tanner Scott (23): 1 IP, 1 hit, no runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts (19 pitches)

Up next

The Dodgers play their penultimate regular game of the season Saturday at (6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA). Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) faces Logan Gilbert (6-6, 3.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP).