Kiké Hernández stole the show on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners, as his third hit of the game gave the Dodgers the lead in the ninth inning, eventually coming away with a 5-3 victory. Tyler Glasnow took the mound for his final regular season start, and immediately put a man on as Randy Arozarena reached […]
Kiké Hernández stole the show on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners, as his third hit of the game gave the Dodgers the lead in the ninth inning, eventually coming away with a 5-3 victory.
Tyler Glasnow took the mound for his final regular season start, and immediately put a man on as Randy Arozarena reached on a swinging bunt infield single. Julio Rodríguez traded places with Arozarena on a fielder’s choice before swiping a pair of bases to make him the seventh player this season with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. After walking Jorge Polanco to put men on the corners with two outs, Glasnow needed one pitch to get Eugenio Suárez to line out to third to end the threat.
It was an abbreviated outing for Glasnow, going just three full innings and needing only 36 pitches. Mariners hitters had no response to Glasnow, as they left four men on base while going 0-4 in opportunities with men on base.
Mariners starter Logan Gilbert kept the Dodgers in check over his first four innings of work, allowing just three base runners over his first four innings of work while striking out four. It wasn’t until the fifth inning where the Dodgers broke through Gilbert, as Dalton Rushing needed just one pitch to put the Dodgers on the board with a two out, two-run home run.
Andrew Heaney made his return to the Dodgers subbing in for Glasnow to begin the bottom of the fourth, and it started out well as he worked around a pair of baserunners with a pair of bookend strikeouts to keep the Mariners off the board. As quickly as the Dodgers gave him some run support, the lead quickly disappeared with a go-ahead three-run home run from Jorge Polanco to put Seattle up by a run.
The Dodgers made things interesting in the top of the seventh inning against right-hander Logan Evans, as both Michael Conforto and Kiké Hernández each singled to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base. Dalton Rushing didn’t need to swing the bat to make it a new ballgame, as a wild pitch from Evans allowed Conforto to score and tie the game.
The Dodgers bullpen after Heaney’s departure was a far cry from the struggles they have faced this season. Jack Dreyer had a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning before Blake Treinen took over and put the leadoff man on in the seventh inning. That was all Seattle could muster against Treinen, as he proceeded to strike out the side in order. Alex Vesia followed suit with a perfect inning of his own, striking out the side as well.
All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz gave the Dodgers a chance to strike with a pair of walks to Conforto and Alex Call to begin the top of the ninth. Miguel Rojas somehow rolled a ball to the first base side on an inside sinker, allowing both runners to advance into scoring position. Kiké Hernández rewarded the Dodgers with his second double and third hit of the game, plating both runners and giving the Dodgers their second two run lead of the game.
Edgardo Henríquez followed both Treinen and Vesia with a perfect ninth inning, also striking out the side to notch his first save of the season. It is the first time since 1920 that the Dodgers bullpen struck out the final nine hitters to end the game.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Dalton Rushing (4); Jorge Polanco (26)
- WP— Alex Vesia (4-2): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
- LP— Andrés Muñoz (3-3): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
- SV— Edgardo Henríquez (1): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
Up next
The regular season will come to a finale on Sunday with the Dodgers wrapping things up against the Seattle Mariners (12:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Clayton Kershaw will start one last game in his regular season career against right-hander Bryce Miller.
Category: General Sports
