Dodgers match season-high run total in 13-4 win over Phillies
Following a slow opening month marked by numerous absences in the lineup, the Dodgers were hoping to look more like themselves at the plate this week.
After all, they actually had almost everyone back.
So far this homsetand, that’s been the case, with a mostly full-strength Dodgers offense coming to life again Monday night in a 13-4 blowout of the Philadelphia Phillies that moved them into first place in the National League West for only the second time in almost a month.
“It was a complete contribution from everyone,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It was fun to watch.”
In their fourth win in a row — and third game during that stretch scoring at least six runs — the Dodgers had four homers, 15 hits and a giant lead almost from the get-go, pouncing on a poor start from Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker and an ineffective Philadelphia bullpen en route to matching their highest scoring output of the season.
The Dodgers never came close to signing Trea Turner to a long-term contract even though the Phillies shortstop said he would have entertained an offer.
The Dodgers (17-13) got early long balls runs from Will Smith (a solo blast to left field, his first since returning from a concussion), David Peralta (a three-run moonshot to right after entering the game with a team-low .167 batting average) and Jason Heyward (a solo drive to center, his fourth of the season) to lead 5-0 after the third.
They added three runs in the fourth on four singles and a couple of head-scratching defensive plays from the Phillies (15-15), setting up Freddie Freeman for a two-run single and Smith for an RBI knock that made it 8-1.
Then Mookie Betts added the exclamation point in the seventh, lifting a two-run homer that put the game away despite an underwhelming start from Tony Gonsolin, who went 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs and had decreased velocity on all of his pitches compared with his season debut a week ago.
“I think we already knew who we were, it was just a matter of getting us all back,” said Betts, who was one of several Dodgers hitters to miss time in April because of an injury or a paternity list absence.
(The only remaining missing piece at the moment is J.D. Martinez, who will spend at least another week on the injured list because of a back injury).
“We’ve had some guys hitting and some guys not,” Betts added. “Fortunately, we were able to put it all together tonight.”
Heyward, a victim of bad batted ball luck to start the season, has found a groove at the plate this week, adding a double and a walk Monday to improve to seven for 10 over his last four games with four extra-base hits and three RBIs.
“The way hitting is, I don’t know if you feel this good,” Heyward joked. “You just see the results. Because you could say I felt great when I was hitting a lot of stuff at people.”
Betts and Freeman, who suffered their own underwhelming starts in April, also finished Monday with three hits each — the first time they did that in the same game since May 26 of last year.
Rookie Michael Busch, meanwhile, had the first multihit game of his career, singling twice on a night in which eight of the Dodgers’ nine starters reached base multiple times. Miguel Vargas, who had a walk and an RBI, was the only exception.
Dodgers power past the Phillies, 13-4
Ninth inning
Phillies: Kody Clemens flied to center. Edmundo Sosa waled. Bryson Stott grounded to short, Sosa to second. Dalton Guthrie flied to right.
Final score: Dodgers 13, Phillies 4
We go to the ninth, 13-4 Dodgers
Eighth inning
Phillies: Nick Castellanos struck out looking. Brandon Marsh singled to left. Shelby Miller replaced Victor Gonzalez. JT Realmuto grounded to third, forcing Marsh. Alec Bohm flied to center.
Dodgers: Max Muncy singled to right. Jason Heyward walked. James Outman walked to load the bases. Miguel Vargas grounded to first, Outman forced at second, Muncy scoring, Heyward to third. First and third, one out. David Peralta singled to center, Heyward scoring, Vargas to third. Position player Kody Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, is now pitching for the Phillies. Michael Busch struck out swinging. Miguel Rojas, batting for Mookie Betts, walked to load the bases. Shelby Miller grounded to third, forcing Peralta.
Score after eight: Dodgers 13, Phillies 4
Dodgers take 11-4 lead heading into eighth
Seventh inning
Phillies: Left-hander Victor Gonzalez now pitching for the Dodgers. Bryson Stott grounded to the pitcher. Trea Turner flied to center. Kyle Schwarber struck out looking.
Dodgers: Right-hander and former Dodger Craig Kimbrel now pitching for the Phillies. Miguel Vargas struck out swinging. David Peralta fouled to third. Michael Busch walked. Mookie Betts homered to center. Freddie Freeman doubled to right. Right-hander Luis Ortiz now pitching for the Phillies. Will Smith flied to left.
Score after seven innings: Dodgers 11, Phillies 4
Phillies close the gap in the sixth inning
Sixth inning
Phillies: JT Realmuto tripled to center. Outman tried to make a diving catch, but the ball ticked off the end of his glove and ricocheted past Heyward, who was backing him up, allowing Realmuto to make it to third. Alec Bohm singled to center, scoring Realmuto. Kody Clemens popped to short. Edmundo Sosa grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Dodgers: Right-hander Yunior Marte now pitching for the Phillies. Will Smith grounded to short. Max Muncy fouled to the catcher. Jason Heyward doubled to right. James Outman struck out looking.
Score after six: Dodgers 9, Phillies 4
It’s 9-3 Dodgers after five innings
Fifth inning
Phillies: Kody Clemens grounded to second. Eduardo Sosa popped to short. Bryson Stott walked. Trea Turner singled to right, Stott to second. Kyle Schwarber walked, loading the bases. And that will do it for Tony Gonsolin. Phil Bickford replaces him. Nick Castellanos singled to left, Stott scoring. Turner then scored and the runners moved up on Peralta’s error. Brandon Marsh struck out looking.
Dodgers: James Outman struck out swinging. Miguel Vargas struck out swinging. David Peralta walked. Michael Busch singled to right, Peralta to third. Mookie Betts hit a ground-rule double, Busch scoring, Betts to third. Freddie Freeman struck out swinging.
Score after five: Dodgers 9, Phillies 3
Dodgers take 8-1 lead after four innings
Fourth inning
Phillies: Kyle Schwarber hit the first pitch over the fence in right for a homer. Nick Castellanos struck out swinging. Brandon Marsh singled to center. JT Realmuto struck out swinging. Alec Bohm popped to second.
Dodgers: David Peralta grounded to first. Michael Busch singled to center. Mookie Betts singled to center, Busch to second, with both runners moving up a base on the center fielder’s error. Freddie Freeman singled to right, scoring both runners, Freeman taking second on the throw home. Will Smith singled to right, Freeman scoring. Left-hander Andrew Vasquez replaced Walker. Max Muncy flied to right. Jason Heyward struck out swinging.
Score after four: Dodgers 8, Phillies 1
Jason Heyward joins homer parade, Dodgers lead 5-0
Third inning
Phillies: Kody Clemens flied to right. Edmundo Sosa bounced to third. Bryson Stott singled to right. Trea Turner popped to second.
Dodgers: Max Muncy struck out swinging. Jason Heyward homered to center. James Outman struck out swinging. Miguel Vargas popped to the catcher.
Score after three: Dodgers 5, Phillies 0
Dodgers take 4-0 lead on Will Smith’s homer
Second inning
Phillies: Nick Castellanos singled to left. Brandon Marsh grounded to short, Castellanos to second. J.T. Realmuto grounded to third. Alec Bohm flied to center.
Dodgers: James Outman walked. Miguel Vargas walked. David Peralta homered to right. Just like that, it’s 4-0. Michael Busch struck out swinging. Mookie Betts grounded to second. Freddie Freeman singled to center. Will Smith flied to right.
Score after two: Dodgers 4, Phillies 0
Will Smith homers to give Dodgers early 1-0 lead
First inning
Phillies: Bryson Stott flied to right. Trea Turner struck out swinging. Kyle Schwarber grounded to first.
Dodgers: Mookie Betts struck out looking. Freddie Freeman struck out swinging. Will Smith homered to left. Max Muncy walked. Jason Heyward struck out swinging.
Score after one: Dodgers 1, Phillies 0
Trea Turner might have stayed in L.A., but Dodgers never made him an offer
He said it on the first day he arrived at Dodger Stadium, decked out in the club’s iconic shade of blue shortly after the 2021 trade deadline.
He said it again on Monday, wearing Philadelphia Phillies red in his first trip back to Chavez Ravine after his departure this offseason.
Despite his Florida roots and East Coast inclinations, Trea Turner would have been open to staying with the Dodgers long-term this past winter — to potentially spend the prime of his career with a juggernaut in Los Angeles.
Dodgers’ starting lineup vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Here’s the starting lineup for the Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on Monday night:
Bryce Harper to make season debut for Phillies this week
The Phillies are set to get a major boost to their lineup during this week’s series against the Dodgers.
After missing the first month of the season recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery, two-time MVP Bryce Harper is set to make his season debut Tuesday as the Phillies’ designated hitter.
In advance of his return, Harper was out on the field early Monday, taking grounders at first base (a position he is expected to be able to play sooner than his typical outfield spot).
During the drills, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emerged from the home dugout and yelled across the diamond, “Take three more days!”
Harper laughed and played along.
“No,” he said. “I’m just gonna suck for two days.”
Sunday recap: Dodgers don’t need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals
A Dodgers lineup that ranks second in the major leagues with 47 homers took a swing shift on the assembly line Sunday, manufacturing four runs with productive outs and one with a wild pitch in a 6-3 victory to complete a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in Chavez Ravine.
A sellout crowd of 52,304 saw the Dodgers get outhit 10-7 and go one for 15 with runners in scoring position, but they drew eight walks, stole three bases and put the ball in play with runners on third and fewer than two outs.
“Get ‘em over, get ‘em in — that was nice,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “You can’t always win games by hitting home runs. [Saturday night] it was Clayton [Kershaw] being as good as he was. Then today, we scored runs in a different way. The last 10 days, we’ve been playing better baseball.”
Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season. All times and broadcast/streaming options are subject to change.
