LOS ANGELES, CA — The Dodgers were forced to go with an opener game tonight as they are basically out of quality starters due to all the pitchers they have are on the IL. New Ace Gavin Stone is the latest to be put on the IL, and there is no real expectation of when he will return. If the Dodgers had the Guardians’ bullpen and elite closer, Emmanuel Clase, Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic, they would have wrapped up the NL West and had 120 wins. By the way, it looks like there may not be a team with 100 wins this season.
Emmanuel Clase (2022 AL LatinoMVP Reliver/Closer of the Year) and Josh Naylor after Clase closes out a 2024 regular season game for Cleveland – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports
Tonight, the Dodgers got off to a good start when Cleveland’s starter, Gavin Williams, got off to an awful one. Williams retired Shohei Ohtani after the slugger just missed a home run that went foul by a few feet, and then Williams imploded. He walked the next three batters and gave up a ground-rule double that put the first two runs on the board for LA. Gavin Lux hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Miguel Rojas, Los Teques, Venezuela, singled in a run. Next up was Andy Pages, Havana, Cuba, who hit a two-run home run off of Williams’ reliever Pedro Avila, Caracas, Venezuela, making the score 6-0.
Andy for two! pic.twitter.com/XXXDTOMur6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 8, 2024
The Guardians got two back in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run by Lane Thomas, making it a 6-2 game after two innings. Mookie Betts added a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the Dodgers a five-run lead.
There's no guarding Mookie. pic.twitter.com/oFzmVJk7ud
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 8, 2024
Cleveland used six pitchers, and the Dodgers marched seven arms out of the bullpen tonight. Hopefully, both clubs can get six innings out of their starters for tomorrow’s rubber match in this three-game series between two teams that could possibly meet again in the World Series.
Note: Tonight’s attendance of 48,690 brought the Dodgers home total for 71 games to 3,438,753. With ten home games left to play and an average of 48,433 per game, they could get close to four million for the season. If they fall short, remember they played one home game in Korea.
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