Los Angeles, California. The Chicago Cubs come to the west coast tonight for a four game series with these first place Dodgers. It will be the last games played at Dodger stadium until after the All Star game with its week of various events. MLB’s presence is being felt here in Chavez Ravine in preparation for the festivities.
But for now, there is a ballgame to be played. The Cubs starter, Mark Leiter Jr., was only one pitch into the game when Mookie Betts deposited his second pitch, a 93 mph fastball, into the left field pavilion for a 1-0 Dodger lead. Then a 2 run blast into the Cubs bullpen by Gavin Lux in the 2nd inning. Followed by a solo absolute bomb in the 4th inning to dead center by Justin Turner. Leiter showed some good movement on his change-ups but his fastball did him in. His line was 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs all earned, 0 walks 4 strikeouts and 3 HR’s.
The Dodgers Tony Gonsolin, 10-0, 1.54 ERA was just doing his normal thing with cutters and fastballs until he gave up a 2 run HR by Christopher Morel, Santiago, Dominican Republic, in the top of the 5th inning. Making the score 4-2. He continued to hold the Cubs to 2 runs and left with a line of 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs both earned, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts and 1 HR. His ERA is now 1.62. All I can say about this guy is, WOW!
Today when we see a pitcher go 6 or 7 innings, like in this case, we tend to get a little anxious when the call goes to the bullpen. It becomes a second game within the game we were just watching. The parade of relievers changes the pace of the game as well as our focus on what we were watching.
Craig Kimbrel for all the hype about him over the years gives his fans the shakes 50% of the time when he comes into a game with a nice lead. He seems to do better when it’s a 1 run game. Tonight with a 5-2 lead he gave up 1 run and was pulled leaving with the tying run on first in what became a nail biting 2 run lead. Fortunately Alex Vesia came in to get the last out on a 3-2 strikeout and picked up his first save of the year.
All runs for the Dodgers tonight came off of HR’s, with Mookie Betts hitting 2. The last one came in the 8th inning off of reliever Michael Rucker and traveled 410 feet to dead center field according to MLB Statcast.
This Dodger powerhouse looks like it is just now catching it’s stride as we get close to the halfway point of this season. A well oiled machine with plenty of depth in this organization keeps it rolling despite all the injuries they sustained so far this year. Tonight Brusdar Graterol, Calabozo, Venezuela, threw 4 pitches and had to be removed as he complained of right side soreness. It happens to every club but some clubs like the Dodgers know how to deal with it better than most teams.
The good teams don’t lose to weaker teams. This Cubs team is in a rebuild and it shows. Final score, Dodgers 5-3. as Gonsolin improves to 11-0
