MLB
Dodgers Back On Top With Their 8-2 Win Over Colorado
Joc Pederson helped the Dodgers get back on top with their 8-2 win over Colorado. Pederson set the tone early when he crushed a leadoff solo home run in the first inning. The Dodgers would score another run in the first; however, the Dodger offense really got hot in the third inning. The third started off with another hit by Pederson, this time a leadoff double down the right-field line. Next, Justin Turner singled, which moved Pederson to third. Then, Manny Machado came up and his pop fly found land, enabling Joc to come home and score. With runners on first and second, Rockies pitcher Jon Gray let his next pitch, an 87-mph slider, hang over the plate and Max Muncy did what Max Muncy does. Muncy crushed a 3-run bomb into right-center field, collecting his 33rd “Muncy Mash” of the season. Both Gray and Muncy knew it was gone immediately after contact. Rockies manager Bud Black finally decided to pull Gray after Yasiel Puig smoked the first pitch up the middle for a base hit.
A homer and a double is a great night, but it wasn’t good enough for Pederson. In the fourth, Joc launched another homer, this time a two-run shot into the right-field bleachers, off of Rockies reliever Harrison Musgrave. That gave Pederson 23 dingers on the season, just three away from tying his 2015 rookie record. That put the Dodgers up 8-0, which is where the Dodger offense would stay for the rest of the game.
Hyun-Jin Ryu Shined
Hyun-Jin Ryu shined and hurled his strongest performance of the season. Ryu dealt seven scoreless innings and allowed just four hits, no walks and struck out five in just 93 pitches. Ryu lowered his ERA to 2.21 over seven starts since returning from a strained left groin. When asked about Ryu, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts had this to say:
“He’s always been a big-game pitcher…For him to be healthy and set the tone for this series, he was in complete command tonight. His stuff was really good and we fed off of him.”
To close out the game, new to the bullpen Alex Wood gave up 2 runs in the eighth. Axford then came in, followed by Garcia and Cingrani to hold the Rockies scoreless to finish off the game.
Puig On Fire
Yasiel Puig has been on fire! During the Dodgers’ recent 10-game road trip,(plus last night’s 2-4 showing), Puig has batted .433 (13 for 30) with a 1.067 OPS. He also has six home runs, five of which came within a 24 hour period in St. Louis and 11 RBIs in that stretch. With those numbers, Puig rightfully earned himself National League Player of the Week. Puig is locked in and seeing the ball like crazy right now. If he continues to do so everybody better watch out!
Outlook
The Dodgers currently have a .5 game lead over Colorado and 4.5 over Arizona. The N.L. West has been a tight back and forth race pretty much all season and as we’re winding down in the last couple of weeks it makes each game not only more exciting but that much more important. The Dodgers have two more home games against the Rockies and have just the man they want leading them there. Tonight, Dodger veteran ace Clayton Kershaw will be throwing, with a 2.51 ERA. Tomorrow night, rookie stud Walker Buehler will be hurling, with a 2.88 ERA. If the Dodgers can take these next two games against the Rockies it could be huge and the difference of who ends up in first when it’s all said and done.
Photo Credit Salina Canizales via Flickr
