LOS ANGELES, CA — For the final game of their three game weekend series, the Dodgers trotted out 24-year-old Roki Sasaki as the Rangers went with 37-year-old Jacob deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner.
Manager Dave Roberts had mixed up Los Angeles’ lineup a bit leading up to Sunday, as the Dodgers put Andy Pages, Havana, Cuba, in the three hole between Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman.
Pages, hitting .429 with an OPS of 1.181, deserved the promotion up in the lineup, with Will Smith getting a day off, as did Teoscar Hernández, Cotui, Dominican Republic.
The red-hot Andy Pages, hitting .429 on the season, was moved up in the Dodgers starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale vs. the Rangers – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Of course, Shohei Ohtani got LA on the board in the first inning when he hit the first pitch he had ever seen from deGrom for a 374-foot home run into the right field pavilion, his second leadoff home run on this young season and his 26th in his career.
And oh yes, he also pitches so there’s that in the favor of the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani put the Dodgers on the board first in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Texas on a first-inning lead-off home run, his second in as many days – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Sasaki put runners on in the first two innings, but was able to get out of those innings via the strikeout, three in a row in the first inning, but at times, struggled with his command, and eventually gave up a 388-foot home run in the third inning to Evan Carter.
Then a single, another walk, and a single, in that inning, and Texas had a one-run lead (2-1). Sasaki would leave with a line of four innings pitched, five hits, two runs, five walks, six strikeouts, and one home run. He threw 94 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Roki Sasaki, reaching a total of 94 pitches, labored across four innings of two run ball with five walks, making for his outing to end earlier than expected going into it – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Edgardo Henriquez, Cumana, Venezuela, relieved the Japanese right-hander and proceeded to retire the three batters he faced by throwing 100, 101, and 102-MPH blistering fastballs. But blistering speed only gets you so far in the major leagues, as he could not get out of the next inning, giving up one run, making it 3-1 Texas.
deGrom, who brought the Dodgers bats back to reality, was removed after six innings pitched, four hits, one run, three walks, nine strikeouts, and one home run. He threw 93 pitches, 64 for strikes and as Roberts put it: “he was really good. It’s really hard to muster up a bunch of runs on that guy.”
Later adding, “When he’s right, he’s one of the best in baseball.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in LA’s postgame on Sunday that when Jacob deGrom is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Both clubs would tack on runs in the late innings, but the key in this one was the Dodger bullpen failing to execute late in the game–allowing four of the six Rangers’ runs on Sunday which resulted in a 5-2 Rangers win.
Brandon Nimmo, hitting .367 on the year, and coming off a two home run Saturday night, remained hot with two hits and two RBI.
With the 5-2 win vs. the Dodgers on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep in LA, the Rangers improved their overall record on the year to 8-7 – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Next up for the Dodgers (11-4) are the 7-9 New York Mets, sitting at the bottom of the NL East division and two games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, who come to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series that begins Monday night.
Maybe the sunshine and warm weather will rejuvenate the New Yorkers coming over from the East Coast.
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