LOS ANGELES, CA — The Dodgers destroyed the Texas pitchers last night, making me think the hitters knew what was coming. Pitchers do tip their pitches. The way they hold the ball, the glove’s movement, or their glove’s position when they come set are all things the opposing team can pick up. The only pitcher who kept the Dodgers from scoring was position player catcher Andrew Knizner, who went 1.2 innings and didn’t give up a hit. It is hard to believe all four Texas pitchers were tipping their pitches. Are the Dodgers hitters that good? They did something on Sunday against the Yankees that no one in baseball has been able to do this year: score off of young Yankee star Luis Gil, Azua, Dominican Republic. They also beat the best team in baseball the day before 11-3. So my thinking is that they are that good.
Shohei Ohtani meets Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts at home plate following his home run against the Rangers at Dodger Stadium – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Spo. rts
So, how do they keep this pace up for the next few weeks before the All-Star game? Three of their first five batters hit the ball hard off Texas starter Jon Gray. First, a 424-foot home run deep into the right-centerfield pavilion by Shohei Ohtani, his seventeenth of the season, followed by a laser line drive single to centerfield by Freddie Freeman and then a 385-foot drive to right-centerfield by Will Smith that missed going out of the ballpark by inches.
The Dodgers are for real, and the Ranger pitchers are not tipping their signs. However, a drop in velocity by two to three mph on Gray after about 45 pitches was noticeable. I guarantee that Ranger pitching coach Mike Maddux and Manager Bruce Bochy noticed that because after just 65 pitches and 36 for strikes, he was lifted. He left after three innings with a line of one run, four hits, and one home run.
Dodger starter Walker Buehler lost a one-run lead in the top of the fifth inning when Corey Seager hit a 422-foot three-run home run deep into the right-field pavilion. The earlier cheers for the returning Dodger fan favorite quickly turned to boos as he rounded the bases.
Allow me to reintroduce myself. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/LdjoJXhY34
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 13, 2024
Buehler left with a line of five innings pitched, seven hits, three runs, two earned, and one home run.
The Dodgers had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on first and second when Jason Heyward hit a double to the gap in right-center field. Will Smith scored from second, but Andy Pages ran through the stop light of third-base coach Dino Ebel and was thrown out at home to end the game, giving the Rangers a 3-2 win to even the series at one game each.
GOODNIGHT! #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/h5nI12F4an
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 13, 2024
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