Dodgers Team News

Dodgers use Ninth Inning Rally to Defeat Phillies

The Dodgers hit four solo home runs, but ultimately a wild pitch would help them win, as they defeated the Phillies 7-6 in game one of what looks to be a thrilling series.

Offense

The common theme over the last few months has been the Dodgers’ ability to hit the long ball. Today was no exception. Max Muncy got things going in the first, hitting homer No. 23 on the season. Yasmani Grandal followed with a solo shot of his own, No. 14 on the season, giving LA a quick 2-0 lead.



Chris Taylor kept up the solo homer trend by going oppo for his 12th of the season in the top of the second.

In the fourth inning Joc Pederson did something to help give the Dodgers a run. Any guesses? If you guessed solo home run, you are correct!

https://twitter.com/Dodgersxyz/status/1021553627473661952

Through four-and-a-half  innings, the Dodgers held onto a 4-1 lead. The Phillies would put up four in the fifth to take the lead, 5-4. LA would tie the game in the seventh, all thanks to the newly acquired Manny Machado. In his fourth game with the Dodgers, Machado showed his speed, stretching a double into a triple with one out. Max Muncy followed with a sacrifice fly to short center field. That didn’t matter, as Machado hustled and beat the tag at home, tying the game at five.

Heading into the ninth, the game remained tied at five. Alex Verdugo, who was called up prior to the game, led the inning off with a walk. Joc Pederson followed with a single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Manny Machado struck out, bringing up Max Muncy to the plate. As he’s done all season, Muncy worked an incredible at-bat, and walked to load the bases. Yasmani Grandal, who’s been LA’s best hitter in July, stepped up to the plate. The Dodgers didn’t need Grandal’s bat, as a wild pitch would bring in Verdugo, giving LA a 6-5 lead.

Grandal would eventually walk, loading the bases for Matt Kemp. As he’s done all year with runners in scoring position, Matt Kemp delivered. He smoked one into left, bringing in Pederson, giving the Dodgers a 7-5 lead.

Pitching

After taking the loss in the All-Star Game, Ross Stripling looked to bounce back and continue his dominance he’s showed all season. Through four innings, Stripling was cruising. He had only allowed one run, and had a three run cushion to work with. Back-to-back hits would put two on, and bring Rhys Hoskins to the plate with two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Hoskins clubbed a three-run homer over the left field fence, tying the game at four. Stripling would allow a home run to the next batter, Odubel Herrera, and that would be it for him. He finished the game with 4.2 innings, five runs and six strikeouts. His ERA now sits at 2.43.

Luckily for Stripling, the bullpen would bail him out, and help him avoid the loss. Zac Rosscup came into the game and struck out his only batter. JT Chargois, Daniel Hudson and Scott Alexander all threw an inning, each struck out a batter, and didn’t allow a hit.

The Phillies, like the Dodgers, relied heavily on the home run ball. Kenley Janses was welcomed by Maikel Franco, who hit the first pitch he saw into the stands, cutting the Dodgers’ deficit to one. Jansen would retire the next three batters, recording his national league leading 29th save of the season.

Moment of the Game

Making his final stop to Philly, Chase Utley received a nearly minute long reception. Arguably one of the more iconic sports figures in the city’s history, Utley spent most of his career in the red pinstriples, which included winning a World Series.

Analysis

This was another fantastic game from the Dodgers, as they moved to 3-1 in the Manny Machado era. The long ball was great, but what mattered was LA’s ability to come back from behind, and ultimately hit with runners in scoring position. For the boys in blue, they remain in first place, and will send Kenta Maeda to the mound tomorrow in hopes of pushing their winning streak to three.

Alex Verdugo Joins Dodgers in Philadelphia

Blake Harris

Blake is currently studying sports journalism at Arizona State University. He covers both the basketball and baseball teams, while hosting a weekly baseball show on the school's radio program. In his spare time, he edits highlight videos for collegiate and professional athletes. He currently has over 125,000 subscribers and 70 million views on Youtube. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he passionately roots for the Dodgers, Clippers, and Saints.

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