LOS ANGELES, CA — The Dodgers begin a three-game series tonight with a NL Western Division rival, the 22-25 Diamondbacks, who sit nine games back in fourth place. The defending National League champions are off to a somewhat shaky start this season, and 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, Corbin Carroll, is hitting .191. His most significant attribute is speed, but if you can’t get on base, you can’t use that blinding speed.
2023 Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is not what he was last year – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
Of note: Initially, the Dodgers signed Miguel Rojas as a backup for Gavin Lux at the beginning of the 2023 season. When Lux went down in spring training and eventually missed the entire year, Rojas more than just filled in, he was solid. Tonight, he was at second base and played this position like he played it every day. Plus, he is batting .261.
Miguel Rojas a blessing for the Dodgers – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
Acquiring the Los Teques, a Venezuelan native, was a lucky break for the Dodgers.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for the Dodgers tonight. As a critical player in the team’s pitching rotation, his performance was crucial in determining the game’s outcome. He was solid through 6.1 innings with a steady arsenal of 94-95 mph fastballs, 83-85 sliders, and a nasty 89-90 splitter with sharp downward breaking action.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is everything we thought and more for the Dodgers – Image Credit Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
He finished with a line of seven hits, two runs, both earned, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches, 69 for strikes, the first time he has thrown 100 pitches in a start in the Major Leagues, and now moves to 5-1 on the year.
Trailing 1-0, Yamamoto got some help from this monster Dodger lineup in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kiké Hernández, San Juan, Puerto Rico, led off the inning with a 401-foot home run to dead center field to tie the game.
Kiké ties it up! pic.twitter.com/RHoCS7ygaT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 21, 2024
Then singles by Rojas and Mookie Betts, a walk to Shohei Ohtani, and a 415-foot grand slam by Freddie Freeman into the center field pavilion caused the stadium to erupt into a frenzy. To top it off, the next batter, Will Smith, parked a 386-foot bomb into the left field pavilion, making the scoring 6-1 Dodgers before the Diamondbacks could get an out!
If Dodger fans left their seat to get a hot dog, they missed the best part of the game. It all happened so fast that there was no time to watch and record what just happened.
FREDDIE SLAM. pic.twitter.com/ws1L6YIrZp
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 21, 2024
Final score: 6-4 Dodgers. The series continues tomorrow night with game two with RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-3, 4.17) vs. RHP Gavin Stone (4-1, 3.27)
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