Hits, runs keep coming in rout
Dodgers match L.A. franchise record for runs in a game and homers with eight.
DODGERS 22
ARIZONA 1
The offensive spigot opened early for the Dodgers on Saturday night, and once the runs and hits and home runs started flowing, it seemed as if they would never stop.
Five runs in the first inning, four in the second, and after a four-inning break to rest their arms, the Dodgers added a seven-run gusher in the seventh inning and a sixrun outburst in the eighth.
By the time they completed their 22-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks before a crowd of 44,654 in Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers matched a Los Angeles franchise record for runs in a game and tied a franchise record with eight homers, including two each by AJ Pollock and Albert Pujols.
“It’s hard to score runs in this game, and to put up crooked numbers like we did tonight, this is as good as I’ve ever seen,” manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s a sign of a really good club, that regardless of the score, we keep trying to win pitches and not give at-bats away. When you do that, good things can happen.”
The Dodgers, who lost four of their previous five games, took out a week’s worth of frustration on Arizona starter Caleb Smith, putting up a five-spot in the first and four more in the second.
Max Muncy hit a two-run double to right in the first. Cody Bellinger, who hit .081 (three for 37) in his previous 11 games, hit a towering, tworun homer to right, and Pollock followed with a homer to left for a 5-0 lead.
Justin Turner, who was added to the National League All-Star team earlier Saturday, drove his first career grand slam to left for a 9-0 lead in the second.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who also was added to the NL All-Star team, was well on his way to victory, having blanked the Diamondbacks on three hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking two to improve to 9-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 18 starts. He has completed six innings or more in 17 of those games.
But the Dodgers weren’t done scoring. They loaded the bases with no outs in the
seventh inning, and Mookie Betts lined his fifth career grand slam — and the major league-leading ninth slam this season for the Dodgers — to left field.
Zach McKinstry added a two-run homer to center and Pujols hit a solo shot to left, career homer No. 674 for the slugger.
Pollock added a solo homer in the eighth to spark a six-run rally that included Gavin Lux’s three-run triple and Pujols’ two-run homer — career No. 675 — off outfielder-turned-pitcher Josh Reddick.
“Every time he hits a home run, you’re watching history,” Pollock said of Pujols. “Every one of them is special.”
The eight homers tied a franchise record, set against Milwaukee on May 23, 2002, and Arizona on March 28, 2019. The 22 runs were the most the team has scored in
Dodger Stadium. Their 21 hits were a season high.
“Yeah, we eked it out,” Buehler said, when asked if he got enough run support. “I appreciate our offense.”
Betts opts out
Betts refuses to blame a series of nagging injuries for what he calls a “bad” first half, one in which the outfielder is batting .249 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs. Roberts has a little different perspective on the shoulder, forearm and back ailments that Betts has played through without going on the injured list.
“He’s always gonna downplay the physical toll this year has taken on him, which I appreciate,” Roberts said. “But I sort of know what’s going on under the hood.”
Those injuries prompted Betts to bow out of Tuesday night’s All-Star game.
“Just some nagging things that I think a little time off will definitely help,” Betts said. “There’s just no break in baseball, so this is the only time I can get a break for more than a day. I would love to be in the AllStar
game, but the goal is to win the World Series, and this break will definitely help me, help us, get to that point.”
Betts said he was surprised to be chosen as an NL reserve. Would his decision to opt out have been different if he hadn’t been to four previous All-Star games?
“Maybe, but probably not,” Betts said. “An All-Star game is definitely an honor, especially being voted in by your peers, so I definitely don’t want to discount that. But I do understand I have some nagging things that I would like to heal up. This decision is really about myself and the Dodgers.”
Turner, 36, was thrilled to make his second All-Star team.
“I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to go to an All-Star game for anything,” said Turner, who is batting .308 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. “To be able to wear a Dodgers uniform and participate in the All-Star game is pretty special.”