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Yamamoto & Vesia keep the Jays down as Dodgers win 5th straight – Dodgers Digest

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Yamamoto & Vesia keep the Jays down as Dodgers win 5th straight – Dodgers Digest

After yesterday’s bludgeoning, today’s game figured to be more of a low-scoring affair with a pair of aces on the mound. Indeed, there weren’t anywhere near the fireworks, but Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland led the offense to enough runs to back Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who himself got an assist today from Alex Vesia‘s magic to secure a 4-1 victory that also makes it a series victory.

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For the Blue Jays, it was Kevin Gausman, and he started with a lead-off walk before retiring six batters in a row. But in the 3rd the bottom of the order rallied against him, as Hyeseong Kim doubled and then Alex Freeland laid down a sac bunt that Gausman hit him in the head with to allow him to reach.

Shohei Ohtani then stepped up and rifled a ball to right that hit off the wall for a single that scored Kim, and later Will Smith managed to avoid an inning-ending double play for an RBI groundout to make it 2-0.

After a quiet 4th, the 5th started with a walk to Kim and he advanced on a balk when Gausman didn’t set. That led to Freeland singling him home to make it 3-0.

Gausman only got one out in the 6th, which was sandwiched between a pair of singles, leading to the pen entering and getting him out of the jam.

The Dodgers then stranded a lead-off double in the 7th and got nothing in the 8th.

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Before actually getting run support for once, Yoshinobu Yamamoto began by striking out the side in the 1st.

There was trouble to start the 2nd, as Kyle Tucker misplayed a liner hit at him for a double, but a couple lineouts and a strikeout later and there was no damage. The defense struck again in the 3rd when a two-out pop foul dropped between Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, but it thankfully wasn’t taken advantage of.

In the 4th, Yamamoto finally got defensive help as Hyeseong Kim spun a gem at short for an out, and then a slow curve got him a smile for another 1-2-3 frame.

After an eight-pitch inning in the 5th, Yamamoto looked to be cruising, but he ran into trouble in the 6th. A lead-off single from Andres Gimenez was advanced to second on a groundout and then cashed in by a George Springer double to make it 3-1.

A walk followed to put a pair on as Yoshi began to labor, but he got back-to-back grounders to get out of it. Surprisingly, Dave Roberts let him come out for the 7th to face two righties. That backfired as a strikeout was reversed and resulted in a double, then a bunt single put a pair on, and Yamamoto’s night was done.

Dominant through five innings but began to falter a bit after: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 97 Pitches.

That one remained up there thanks to miraculous work from Alex Vesia. He started by issuing a walk to load things up, but then got a flyout to shallow left, a massive strikeout, and then a routine flyout to right that ended the threat. Absolutely massive.

Blake Treinen was going to enter for the last batter of the 7th, but got the 8th instead against the heart of the order, and he went 1-2-3.

It looked like the Dodger bats would go quiet for the final four innings, but with two outs in the 9th, Alex Freeland hit a ball to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and he threw wild, then their catcher threw the ball away to put him at second. Kyle Tucker took advantage of that with a single to make it 4-1 Dodgers.

That led to Edwin Diaz entering for the 9th to close it out, and while he had a bit of excitement with a walk and a single, he did strike out three to get the save.

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Before the game it was announced that Miguel Rojas was scratched due to a family matter and replaced in the lineup by Hyeseong Kim. Hope everything is alright.

Shohei Ohtani got hit by Brandon Valenzuela but looked alright.

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9-2

The series will conclude way-too-early tomorrow at 9:07 AM HT/12:07 PM PT/3:07 PM ET with Shohei Ohtani on the bump looking to build off his first start against a familiar foe in Dylan Cease.

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