Pepiot gets the call, first win in majors
LOS ANGELES » You always remember your first.
Called up from Triple-A to make a spot start and afford the rest of the starting rotation an extra day’s rest between outings, Ryan Pepiot got his first major-league win, going the first five innings in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
Pepiot completed five innings for the first time in his four big-league starts, allowing one run on four hits in that time and looking much more comfortable than he had in his first three fill-in assignments.
Pepiot was his own worst enemy in those first three starts, walking 11 in 11 1/3 innings (and hitting two more). The quality pitch mix was obvious but he struggled to put those pitches in the right places and found himself pitching under duress most innings, his pitch count spinning like the numbers on a gas pump. Against the Rockies, he walked just one — Charlie Blackmon in the first inning — and went to a three-ball count just one other time.
Staying in better counts allowed Pepiot to deploy his best weapon — his changeup. The Rockies swung at it seven times, missed five and put it in play just once on a weak (78.8 mph off the bat) liner to third base.
The Rockies got to him for their run in the second inning on a one-out single by Ryan McMahon and a double by Jose Iglesias.
That 1-0 lead was shortlived. In the bottom of the inning, Will Smith led off with a walk and Max Muncy — uncharacteristically jumping on a first pitch — drilled a tworun home run.
Mookie Betts took a page out of that book an inning later, drilling a first-pitch hanging slider from German Marqez for a solo home run.
In the fourth, Muncy was waiting in ambush again. He jumped on the first pitch he saw from Marquez again, drilling a double to right field this time. Justin Turner drove him in with a single.
Those two got together to produce another run in the eighth. Muncy drew a twoout, Turner followed with a single and Trayce Thompson drove Muncy in with an RBI single
The combination of Muncy and Turner had been a pothole in the middle of the
Dodgers’ lineup for much of this season. But the two have begun to climb out.
Muncy was on base four times Tuesday (his homer, double and two walks) and has three home runs and two doubles in his past seven games (though still just 6 for 23 in that time). Turner, meanwhile, has raised his average 36 points (to .242) in his past 16 games by going 21 for 55.
Pepiot handed that 4-1 lead to the bullpen and the Rockies cut into it immediately when Kris Bryant led off the sixth inning against Phil Bickford with his first home run since signing a sevenyear, $182-million contract with Colorado in March. Bryant has been limited to 24 games this season by a back injury.
Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol combined to get the final seven outs (five on strikeouts).