Final: Dodgers shut out at home for first time in 4-0 loss
For the first time this season, the Dodgers were shutout at home, unable to get one of their 10 baserunners to the plate in a 4-0 loss to the Brewers.
Julio Urías gave up just one run in six innings but took the loss after yielding a home run to Luis Urías.
Phil Bickford let the Brewers pull away after giving up three runs in the top of the ninth.
The Dodgers are now 84-37.
Final: Brewers 4, Dodgers 0
Julio Urías pitches six strong innings, but exits with Dodgers trailing
Julio Urías’ fastball velocity was down half a tick, but little else about his outing looked amiss.
The left-hander pitched six innings, giving up just one run one two hits and one walk. He struck out seven and threw just 84 pitches (he was likely pulled early with the Dodgers remaining careful with their pitchers’ workloads down the stretch) to lower his season ERA to 2.36.
In his last seven games, he’s given up just five runs in 44 innings.
However, the Dodgers remain behind after being shut out for five innings by Brewers starter Eric Lauer (who lowered his career ERA against the Dodgers to 2.37) and stranding a two-out walk from Max Muncy in the sixth.
End 6th: Brewers lead 1-0
Brewers take lead on Luis Urías’ home run
Julio Urías had not given up a hit through 3 2/3 innings to start the night.
But then, the left-hander left a full-count fastball over the middle of the plate that Brewers infielder Luis Urías clobbered for a solo home run.
The Dodgers had a chance to open the scoring earlier in the game, but Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich threw out Justin Turner at home plate for the final out in the second inning.
They then squandered another opportunity in the fourth, leaving the bases loaded after a pair of two-out singles and a walk.
End 4th: No score
Clayton Kershaw nearing return to Dodgers rotation; Brusdar Graterol activated
Julio Urías wasn’t the only Dodgers starter throwing important pitches off the mound on Monday.
Prior to the start of the team’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, injured left-hander Clayton Kershaw made a big step in his recovery, facing live hitting for the first time since suffering a back injury earlier this month.
Kershaw threw about 30 pitches over the equivalent of three innings, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Kershaw will throw another simulated game on Saturday in Miami during the team’s series against the Marlines.
If all goes well, he could rejoin to the Dodgers rotation after that, though an exact return date hadn’t been determined.
“He looked sharp,” Roberts said. “Good to see him face some hitters.”
In other injury news Monday, the Dodgers activated reliever Brusdar Graterol from the injured list after he missed more than a month with shoulder trouble.
Ryan Pepiot was optioned in a corresponding move.
Here is the Dodgers lineup for Monday’s game, in which Julio Urías (13-6, 2.40 ERA) and Eric Lauer (8-5, 3.58 ERA) will be on the mound:
Max Muncy agrees to one-year contract extension with the Dodgers
With a month and a half left in the regular season, the Dodgers addressed one of their bigger offseason questions on Monday.
The team announced it agreed to a contract extension with third baseman Max Muncy, a one-year deal that will be worth $13.5 million next season and includes a team option for $10 million, plus incentives, for 2024.
After a dreadful start to the season, impacted in part by an elbow injury he suffered at the end of last season, Muncy has hit his stride in recent weeks. Since the start of August, Muncy is batting .328 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs. His 1.185 on-base-plus-slugging percentage during that stretch is third best in the majors among qualified hitters.
Dodgers’ destruction of Sandy Alcantara isn’t a fluke. This team can hit good pitching
This game that didn’t count for much, this midsummer game against another overmatched and underfunded opponent, was also a statement game.
The Dodgers didn’t just beat the Miami Marlins on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. They beat the best pitcher in baseball. They beat Sandy Alcantara.
And they didn’t just beat Alcantara. They absolutely pulverized him.
The Dodgers presented their most convincing evidence to date of why they should win the World Series this year, pole-axing Alcantara over the first 3 2/3 innings of a 10-3 victory.
The damage: six earned runs and 10 hits, including a home run by Cody Bellinger.
ICYMI: Dodgers leave Cy Young favorite Sandy Alcantara buried and beaten
Last week, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner got through only five-plus innings before being chased by the Dodgers’ dominant offense.
On Sunday, this year’s Cy Young front-runner couldn’t even complete four.
In his worst start of an otherwise stellar season, Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara was battered, beaten and eventually buried by the Dodgers in a 10-3 win, which completed a three-game weekend sweep in front of 41,125 at Dodger Stadium.
In a season-short 3⅔ innings, Alcantara was tagged with a season-high in runs (six) and hits (10).
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: