Dodgers beat big league-best Rays with timely offense and clutch relief pitching
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All season, the Dodgers’ offense has been inconsistent yet productive, streaky but successful.
“If you look at where guys are at,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday, “some guys have been ice cold and then they run really hot.”
That was the case again in the Dodgers’ come-from-behind, 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, coupling superstar-like performances from Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts with just enough offensive punch from the rest of the team.
Dodgers hold on in the ninth to defeat Rays 6-5
⚾ Dodgers 6, Rays 5 — FINAL
Top of the ninth: Miguel Rojas grounded out to third and Mookie Betts flied out to right. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to reach base for the fourth time today. Will Smith flied out to the warning track in center for the third out.
Bottom of the ninth: Manuel Margot grounded out to second, ending Evan Philips’ relief stint after 1⅓ innings. Facing Caleb Ferguson, Taylor Walls hit a sliding double to center field. Ferguson struck out Jose Siri, who broke his bat over his knee in frustration as he walked back to the dugout. Yandy Diaz then drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Wander Franco singled to center, driving in Walls to make it a one-run game. Harold Ramirez grounded into a force out at second to end the game in the Dodgers’ 15th comeback win this season.
Yency Almonte (3-0) got the win and Ferguson earned his second save of the season.
The Dodgers and Rays wrap up their three-game series Sunday at 8:35 a.m. PDT (Peacock | MLB.TV).
Miguel Vargas homers to extend Dodgers’ lead in the eighth
⚾ Dodgers 6, Rays 4 — End of the eighth
Top of the eighth: Rays reliever Trevor Kelley struck out Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. Miguel Vargas then hit a solo home run to left — his fifth homer of the season — to extend the Dodgers’ lead. James Outman struck out to cap the frame.
Bottom of the eighth: Facing Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips, Harold Ramirez grounded out and Randy Arozarena struck out before Isaac Paredes singled on a liner to left. Following a mound visit from Mark Prior, Phillips got Josh Lowe to fly out to shallow left, ending the inning.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman push Dodgers back ahead
⚾ Dodgers 5, Rays 4 — End of the seventh
Top of the seventh: Facing Rays reliever Colin Poche, pinch-hitter Trayce Thompson struck out, his hitless streak growing to 39 at-bats. Miguel Rojas singled and reached second on a wild pitch. Mookie Betts tied the game on an RBI single to center field. Freddie Freeman doubled into center field to score Betts and give the Dodgers the lead. Will Smith and J.D Martinez grounded out to leave Freeman stranded.
Bottom of the seventh: Brusdar Graterol struck out Jose Siri. Yandy Diaz grounded to short and Wander Franco popped out to third.
Dodgers trail by a run heading into the seventh inning
⚾ Rays 4, Dodgers 3 — End of the sixth inning
Top of the sixth: Facing Rays reliever Jake Diekman, Max Muncy grounded out to first. Chris Taylor struck out and Miguel Vargas flied out to center.
Bottom of the sixth: Yency Almonte took over for Clayton Kershaw and promptly got Christian Bethancourt to line out to left. Manuel Margot lined out to Max Muncy at third and Taylor Walls flied out to center.
Rays take lead on Harold Ramirez’s two-run homer
⚾ Rays 4, Dodgers 3 — End of the fifth
Top of the fifth: Mookie Betts sent a high fastball to deep left-center field, where Randy Arozarena got underneath it with his back to the wall. The play marked the end of Tyler Glasnow’s first start of 2023. He gave up five hits, three earned runs, walked one and struck out eight.
Kevin Kelly took over in relief for the Rays and walked Freddie Freeman. Will Smith popped out to first and J.D. Martinez struck out.
Bottom of the fifth: Yandy Diaz lined out to right. Wander Franco singled on a flare to center. Harold Ramirez followed with a two-run home run to right field to give Tampa Bay its first lead today. It was Ramirez’s eight home run of the season. Clayton Kershaw struck out Randy Arozarena and got Isaac Paredes to ground out to short. Kershaw has given up six hits and four earned runs with two walks and six strikeouts through 83 pitches.
Dodgers score two runs and give up a couple runs
⚾ Dodgers 3, Rays 2 — End of the fourth
Top of the fourth: J.D. Martinez led with a double down the left-field line to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Muncy followed with a double into the right-field corner to score Martinez and extend the Dodgers’ lead. Jason Heyward grounded out sharply to shortstop Wander Franco, who made a nice sliding stop and throw from behind second base. Muncy moved to third on the play.
Tyler Glasnow struck out Miguel Vargas before throwing a wild pitch against David Peralta, opening the door for Muncy to trot home from third. Peralta then singled on a sharp liner to right. Miguel Rojas struck out to cap the frame.
Bottom of the fourth: Clayton Kershaw walked Randy Arozarena, then struck out Isaac Paredes for the second time today. Christian Bethancourt pulled a high, first-pitch slider into left for a double. Manuel Margot put the Rays on the board with a liner up the middle, driving in Arozarena and Bethancourt to make it a one-run game. Taylor Walls flied out to Jason Heyward in center. Jose Siri grounded out to second to limit the damage.
Clayton Kershaw gets out of jam, Dodgers lead heading into fourth
⚾ Dodgers 1, Rays 0 — End of the third
Top of the third: Miguel Rojas grounded out on a one-hop comebacker to Tyler Glasnow. Mookie Betts struck out before Freddie Freeman lined the ball off the right-field wall for a sliding double. Will Smith grounded out to second, stranding Freeman.
Bottom of the third: Taylor Walls singled to left. Clayton Kershaw then struck out Jose Siri, and Yandy Diaz flied out to right. Walls took second on a wild pitch. Immediately after Kershaw walked Wander Franco, Walls stole third. He was initially ruled out until the call was challenged by the Rays and reversed upon a video review. Kershaw got out of the jam when Harold Ramirez grounded out to short, ending the inning.
Max Muncy home run powers Dodgers into lead vs. Rays
⚾ Dodgers 1, Rays 0 — End of the second
Top of the second: Max Muncy hit a no-doubter of a home run to right field — his 16th homer of the season — to give the Dodgers their first hit and the early lead. Muncy clobbered Tyler Glasnow’s 96-mph fastball 408 feet. Muncy was two for his 27 at the plate before the home run.
Glasnow, who graduated from Newhall Hart, responded by striking out Jason Heyward, Miguel Vargas and David Peralta.
Bottom of the second: Clayton Kershaw struck out Isaac Paredes and Christian Bethancourt before Manuel Margot grounded out to short in a 10-pitch inning.
Dodgers and Rays scoreless after first inning
⚾ Dodgers 0, Rays 0 — End of the first inning
Top of the first: Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow took the mound for the first time since sustaining a strained oblique in spring training. Mookie Betts led with a fly out to center. Freddie Freeman struck out and Will Smith walked on four pitches. Glasnow struck out J.D. Martinez to cap the frame.
Bottom of the first: Clayton Kershaw, making his first start since coming off the bereavement list following the death of his mother, struck out Rays leadoff batter Yandy Diaz. Wander Franco grounded out to third before Harold Ramirez singled down the right-field line. Kershaw was called for a balk on a pickoff throw to first, moving Ramirez to second. Randy Arozarena flied out to right for the third inning.
Julio Urías likely a couple weeks away from return after feeling hamstring ‘soreness’
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Julio Urías won’t be ready to return to action next weekend after all.
After feeling some “soreness” in his hamstring on Friday, according to manager Dave Roberts, the left-hander did not throw a bullpen session as expected Saturday, pushing back his timeline at least a week after initially going on the injured list May 20.
The Dodgers’ new plan for Urías is to have him complete a bullpen session Tuesday, then throw a simulated game several days later. It means his original target return for next weekend against the New York Yankees is off the table, and that rookie Bobby Miller will get a more extended run in the big league rotation after making his MLB debut Tuesday.
Will Dodgers seek starting pitching at deadline? Loss to Rays highlights question
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — What started as a potential preseason concern for the Dodgers has turned into a sudden midseason conundrum.
Less than two months into the schedule, the team’s starting pitching might need to be shored up.
It’s a result of injuries at the major league level, coupled with thinning options on the farm.
And though Major League Baseball’s trade deadline isn’t until the beginning of August, speculation about the team’s need to add more on the mound is already beginning to start.
It’s an issue that was under the microscope in a 9-3 loss to the first-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, when Noah Syndergaard gave up six runs in six troublesome innings that raised his earned-run average to 6.27 — eighth highest in the majors among pitchers with at least 40 innings.
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.
