LOS ANGELES — One and never done.
Down two runs in the ninth inning, the Dodgers rallied for three to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-5, on Friday night on Dalton Rushing’s two-out single and an error by the Orioles. The win was their fourth in a row – each by one-run margins.
Bouncing back from his previous start in Chicago that featured a seven-run inning, Roki Sasaki gave up just one hit in the first five innings on Friday. Taylor Ward led off the game with a base hit into right-center field. Andy Pages cut the ball off, spun and threw to second base, getting Ward trying to stretch it into a double. It was Pages’ seventh assist this season, tops among all MLB outfielders.
That was the first of a number of defensive plays that supported Sasaki as he retired 13 batters in order following Ward’s single.
Sasaki did his part as well. He got 16 swings-and-misses (eight on his fastball, five on the splitter and three on his slider) and struck out six in his 5⅔ innings. His fastball continues to be robust, averaging 98.7 mph on the night with 11 pitches registering between 99.6 and 100.6 mph.
If his defense did him plenty of favors, the Dodgers’ offense did not, failing to build on an early 3-0 lead, leaving the door open for the Orioles.
Muncy drove in two runs with a two-out single in the first inning. But the Dodgers stranded two runners that inning.
Alex Freeland singled in the second inning and scored on Pages’ two-out double, just evading the tag at home plate with a nifty maneuver as Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo reached to tag him.
That 3-0 lead looked like it would grow when singles by Betts and Tommy Edman sandwiched around a walk of Muncy loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning. But Orioles starter Trey Gibson recovered to strike out Ryan Ward, Dalton Rushing and Freeland, leaving the bases loaded.
The Dodgers stranded another runner at second in the fourth inning for a total of seven left on base in the first four innings, five in scoring position.
That left the Orioles within striking distance and they struck in the sixth inning when Sasaki tried to go a third time through their lineup. Gunnar Henderson jumped on a 1-and-0 splitter that stayed above the knees and sent a towering fly ball into the right field seats for a two-run home run. Three pitches later, Pete Alonso caught up to a fastball on the inside corner and sent it into the left field pavilion.
The back-to-back home runs tied the score and ended Sasaki’s night.
Jack Dreyer replaced Sasaki and pitched into the seventh, where he gave up a one-out single to Colton Cowser. Will Klein replaced Dreyer and gave up a single to Coby Mayo and walked Jackson Holliday to load the bases. Jackson got his revenge, punching a ball off the end of his bat at just 69.2 mph through the right side of the infield for a two-run, tie-breaking single.
Even with the run of scoreless innings during the sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers’ bullpen has an ERA of 6.04 in June.
But Betts hit a solo home run in the ninth (his third hit in the game) to close the gap. The Dodgers drew two walks against Orioles closer Ryan Helsley. Rushing came through with a single to tie the score and the winning run scored when right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw got away.
More to come on this story.