Tony Gonsolin continues stellar start to season, leads Dodgers past Diamondbacks
PHOENIX — He showed flashes as a rookie, but then regressed last year.
While the Dodgers were hopeful he would bounce back, few were anticipating production this consistent.
Of the Dodgers’ current starting rotation — which includes a former All-Star and 20-game winner — it’s Tony Gonsolin who has arguably pitched the best over the first quarter of the season, leading the group in ERA, strikeout rate and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).
In the team’s 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, the right-hander displayed all the reasons why again.
Daniel Hudson gets save as Dodgers complete 3-2 win
PHOENIX — Closer Craig Kimbrel wasn’t available a night after throwing 26 pitches, so the Dodgers instead turned to Daniel Hudson to pick up the save in a 3-2 win against the Diamondbacks.
Tony Gonsolin’s six-inning, two-run start was key. So was Mookie Betts’ leadoff home run, the Dodgers’ two-run fifth inning rally, a four-for-four performance from Justin Turner, and three scoreless innings from the bullpen.
The Dodgers are now 32-14 and can complete a four-game sweep tomorrow.
Final: Dodgers 3, Dbacks 2
Tony Gonsolin pitches six strong innings to preserve Dodgers lead
After giving up two runs in the second inning on a pair of RBI triples, Tony Gonsolin settled into a groove to complete a six-inning, two-run.
He pitched a 1-2-3 third inning. He stranded a bad-luck double in the fourth that deflected off first base Freddie Freeman.
Then, even with his pitch count at 79 after the fifth, he returned to the mound in the sixth and retired the heart of the Diamondbacks lineup in order.
Gonsolin finished his day with seven strikeouts. For the first time this season, he didn’t walk a batter either.
His ERA is now 1.80, still best among the Dodgers’ current starting rotation.
End 6th: Dodgers lead 3-2
Freddie Freeman just misses home run, but Dodgers still retake lead in the fifth
Freddie Freeman rounded first base in the fifth inning thinking he had just hit a go-ahead two-run homer.
The first base umpire, however, waived it off, saying Freeman’s drive down the line had drifted foul. The call was upheld after video replay.
In the end, it hardly mattered.
The Dodgers still scored two runs in the fifth to retake the lead.
After returning to the plate, Freeman drew a walk to put two aboard. Trea Turner hit an RBI single in the next at-bat that tied the game. Then Will Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
End 5th: Dodgers lead 3-2
Dbacks go in front with two RBI triples in second inning
Tony Gonsolin pitched an easy 1-2-3 first inning.
The second inning was anything but.
Gonsolin gave up two runs on a pair of RBI triples, leaving a fastball right down the middle to Jake McCarthy before Geraldo Perdomo turned around an outside splitter.
End 2nd: Dbacks lead 2-1
Mookie Betts remains hot, hits leadoff home run
Mookie Betts continues to swing perhaps the hottest bat in all of baseball.
The Dodgers outfielder led off today’s game with a solo home run, the 32nd leadoff jack of his career. In the month of May, he’s now batting .354 with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs.
He has an NL-most 14 home runs on the season.
Mid 1st: Dodgers lead 1-0
Dodgers place Max Muncy on IL, call up Kevin Pillar
The Dodgers made official an expected move Saturday, placing Max Muncy on the injured list with left elbow inflammation.
Kevin Pillar was called up to replace Muncy, while Tommy Kahnle was placed on the 60-day IL to make room for Pillar on the 40-man roster.
Manager Dave Roberts had said earlier this week Muncy was likely headed to the injured list after his elbow — the same one in which he sustained a torn ligament last year — flared up after he banged it on a couple defensive plays earlier this week.
Neither Muncy nor Roberts gave a specific timeline for when he might return.
Pillar is slated to play Sunday and Monday.
The Dodgers also made a change to their pitching staff, recalling Michael Grove and optioning Ryan Pepiot. Grove was called up to give the Dodgers bullpen some length, though he could also be a possibility to start a game at some point, according to Roberts.
Here is the Dodgers lineup for Saturday, when they will have right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the mound opposite Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly.
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season:
Edwin Ríos bolsters case for more playing time in Dodgers’ win over Diamondbacks
PHOENIX — So far this season, Edwin Ríos’ biggest challenge has been simply staying ready, trying to keep himself sharp between sporadic starts.
Lately, Ríos has been handed a different task.
With starts in six straight games, and 10 of the last 18, the left-handed slugger is simply trying to stay hot.
“Feels good knowing when you come to the field you’re gonna play,” said Ríos, whose recent stretch of playing time came after getting only five starts in the first 27 games. “Definitely soaking it in and trying to take advantage of it.”
Ríos did so Friday, hitting an early three-run home run that keyed the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Friday was only Ríos’ second start this season against a left-handed starting pitcher, batting ninth against familiar Dodgers foe Madison Bumgarner.