Column: Walker Buehler’s dependability proving vital as questions surround Dodgers pitchers
The last time Walker Buehler lost a game, pandemics were something that happened in science-fiction movies.
LeBron James hadn’t yet reached the postseason with the Lakers.
Jared Goff and Sean McVay were still viewed as inseparable.
Buehler extended his unbeaten streak to 29 starts Sunday, the right-hander overcoming early control problems to pitch six scoreless innings in a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium.
While Clayton Kershaw is the most revered pitcher on the Dodgers and Trevor Bauer the most talked-about, the 26-year-old Buehler has quietly taken on the role as the most consistent.
Rangers’ rally falls short as Dodgers win, 5-3
Rangers: Right-hander Phil Bickford now pitching. Holt doubled to right. Heim walked. Jason Martin, batting for the pitcher, singled to right-center, scoring Holt. Kenley Jansen is throwing in the Dodger bullpen. Kiner-Falefa singled to left. Martin was running on the pitch and Lux ran to second to cover, opening up a hole at short. Heim scored. First and third, nobody out. And here comes Jansen into the game with the tying run at the plate. Calhoun singled to right, scoring Martin. First and second, nobody out. It’s 5-3, and the go-ahead run is at the plate. Eli White runs for Calhoun. Garcia, who is third in the AL in homers with 16, singled to center, loading the bases. Gallo fouled to second. Big out. Bases loaded, one out. Lowe popped to third. Two out, bases loaded. Sorak grounded to second. Never in doubt.
Final score: Dodgers 5, Rangers 3
We go to the ninth, Dodgers 5, Rangers 0
Rangers: Left-hander Victor Gonzalez now pitching for the Dodgers. Gallo grounded to first. Lowe grounded to second. Solak flied to right.
Dodgers: Left-hander Brett Martin now pitching for the Rangers. McKinstry singled to center. He has three hits. Raley struck out swinging. Barnes hit a slow roller up third. Martin grabbed it and threw it past first for an error, allowing McKinstry to go to third. First and third, one out. Andy Burns, batting for Gonzalez, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Score after eight: Dodgers 5, Rangers 0.
Matt Beaty’s double gives Dodgers a 5-0 lead
Rangers: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Kiner-Falefa grounded to second. Calhoun flied to center. Garcia struck out swinging.
Dodgers: Betts singled to right. Lux grounded to short, Betts to second. Taylor flied to center, Betts to third. Beaty singled to right-center, scoring Betts. Pollock flied to left.
Score after seven innings: Dodgers 5, Rangers 0.
Nothing doing in the sixth inning, still 4-0 Dodgers
Rangers: Solak was hit in the left elbow with a pitch. He is in quite a bit of pain, but stays in the game. Holt grounded to short. Lux made a diving stop and flipped it to second for the out. Solak, the runner, slid to the left of the bag and grabbed it with his hand, which was very odd since if he had slid directly into the bag he might have been safe. Heim popped to second. King, the pitcher, bunted back to the mound. Inning over. Did he realize there were two outs? It looked like he was trying to sacrifice the runner over, not bunt for a hit.
Dodgers: McKinstry walked. Raley grounded to short, forcing McKinstry. Barnes struck out swinging. Albert Pujols, batting for Buehler, struck out swinging.
Score after six: Dodgers 4, Rangers 0
Dodgers 4, Rangers 0 after five innings
Rangers: Calhoun flied to left. Garcia flied to right. Gallo singled to left-center. Lowe grounded to second.
Dodgers: Left-hander John King now pitching for the Rangers. Taylor struck out swinging. Beaty grounded to second. Pollock lined to right. Another fast inning.
Score after five: Dodgers 4, Rangers 0
It’s 4-0 Dodgers after four
Rangers: Holt grounded to second. Heim singled to center. Dunning bunted Heim to second. Kiner-Falefa grounded to first.
Dodgers: Buehler grounded to short. Betts struck out swinging. Lux struck out looking. Fast inning.
Score after four: Dodgers 4, Rangers 0
Dodgers take 4-0 lead on Mookie Betts’ homer, Zach McKinstry’s double
Rangers: Calhoun struck out swinging. Garcia lined to left. Gallo singled to right. Lowe singled to center, Gallo to second. Solak struck out swinging. Solak is hit .152 in June and has left five runners on base today.
Dodgers: Betts homered just inside the right-field foul line. Lux hit a pop fly to shallow left-center. The second baseman thought the center fielder was going to take it. The center fielder thought the second baseman was going to take it. No one took it. Single for Lux. Taylor singled to right, Lux hustling to third. Beaty bounced hard to first. Taylor moved to second, Lux held at third. Pollock grounded to third. Lux was caught between third and home and was tagged out. Taylor moved to third. First and third, two out. McKinstry doubled to left-center, scoring both runners. Raley hit a slow roller to second and beat the throw to first by about an inch. First and third, two out. Barnes flied to center.
Score after three: Dodgers 4, Rangers 0
It’s still 1-0 Dodgers after two
Rangers: Brock Holt grounded to second. Jonah Heim singled to center. Dunning fouled to first. Kiner-Falefa struck out looking.
Dodgers: Zach McKinstry beat out a slow roller to third. Luke Raley struck out swinging. Austin Barnes walked on seven pitches. With Buehler attempting to bunt, McKinstry got caught off second and was tagged after a rundown. Barnes moved to second. Buehler struck out looking.
Score after two: Dodgers 1, Rangers 0
Dodgers take 1-0 lead in first on Gavin Lux’s double
Rangers: Walker Buehler pitching for the Dodgers. Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked on five pitches. Former Dodger prospect Willie Calhoun strikes out swinging at a ball well off the plate. Adolis Garcia struck out swinging at a pitch that was above the zone. Joey Gallo walked on four pitches. Nate Lowe walked on 10 pitches. Kiner-Falefa and Gallo stole second and third during that at-bat. Bases loaded, two out. Nick Solak grounded to third. Buehler made 33 pitches that inning. Not good.
Dodgers: Right-hander Dane Dunning pitching for the Rangers. Mookie Betts walked on five pitches. Gavin Lux doubled to left-center, scoring Betts. Chris Taylor was hit in the left elbow by a pitch. Good thing he wears an elbow pad. Matt Beaty grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, Lux to third. AJ Pollock struck out swinging.
Score after one: Dodgers 1, Rangers 0
Dodgers without Bellinger, Muncy and Turner in Sunday’s lineup
Sunday’s Dodger lineup against the Rangers features no Cody Bellinger and no Max Muncy (on the IL) once again. Justin Turner also gets the day off.
Gavin Lux moves up to the two spot for only the second time this season, and Matt Beaty bats cleanup for only the second time.
The Rangers go with:
Book Excerpt: New details on the Astros cheating scandal
As the summer of 2017 rolled on and autumn drew closer, the Houston Astros’ deception deepened, and so did opponents’ suspicions.
On August 1, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer won a game at Minute Maid Park but suspected that on at least a few occasions the Astros had his pitches. Later that night, Archer was back in his hotel room when an Astros player FaceTimed him.
“Dude, you’ve got good s—-,” the player said, as later reported by the Athletic. “You were just tipping.”
This was a lie. Archer was not tipping his pitches. The Astros had banged the trash can thirty-nine times that night, and the Houston player was trying to cover his team’s tracks by tossing a red herring at Archer.
Although rumors had begun to spread throughout the league about the Astros, opponents remained short on facts. Pitchers tended to know when hitters had the signs. So did managers, coaches, and savvy position players. But it’s one thing to feel it and another to prove it.
Dodgers’ day of tough news gets worse with blowout loss to Texas Rangers
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 12-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
The Dodgers were having an up-and-down day Saturday, even before their interleague game with the Texas Rangers. Just as Cody Bellinger was set to return to the lineup Sunday, the team announced that infielder Max Muncy was put on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
Things didn’t get better later on. They lost to the Rangers 12-1 after having scored 12 runs Friday night in the first game of the series.
Trevor Bauer, who was trying to shake off a loss at Atlanta where he gave up three runs to the Braves, made the seventh start of his career against the Rangers and the first since 2018 when he pitched for Cleveland.
Bauer (6-5) struggled with his control early and gave up six runs on nine hits, two walks and eight strikeouts. He was relieved with one out in the seventh by David Price.
Rangers dominate in 12-1 victory over the Dodgers
Nate Lowe and Jason Martin each hit two-run home runs to help lift the Rangers to a 12-1 win over the Dodgers.
Lowe’s two-run home run to straightaway center ended reliever Nate Jones’ night on the mound. He gave way to the new guy — second baseman Andy Burns, who is making his Dodgers debut. He called up from the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City on Saturday. Per Baseball Reference, there is no record of the 30-year-old Burns ever pitching at the professional level.
After recording the inning’s first two outs, Burns gave up a two-run blast to Martin. Burns then struck out Josh Sborz to end the inning.
Joey Gallo scored on Lowe’s home run after he reached base on a leadoff walk. Brock Holt, who reached base on a double, scored on Martin’s first career major-league homer.
The Dodgers (38-26) went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers (25-40) their first road win since May 6, snapping a 16-game road losing streak.
Final score: Rangers 12, Dodgers 1
Texas Rangers score two more runs to take 8-1 lead in eighth
Jason Martin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each drove in runs off Dodgers reliever Nate Jones to give the Texas Rangers an 8-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Martin’s hit scored Brock Holt, who walked to leadoff the inning. Jones then allowed a double to Jonah Heim that moved Holt to third. Kiner-Falefa flied out to right to plate Heim.
Jones eventually passed the Jumbo Jacks line by striking out Nick Solak before Adolis Garcia grounded out to put the brakes on the scoring surge.
The Rangers have lost 16 straight road games, with their last win away from home coming May 6 vs. Minnesota. Unless something changes, the Rangers will break that dubious streak tonight.
In the bottom of the eighth, Mookie Betts drew a leadoff walk before Rangers reliever Josh Sborz struck out Chris Taylor and Justin Turner. He then got Albert Pujols to fly out to right.
End of eighth: Rangers 8, Dodgers 1
AJ Pollock leads off bottom of the seventh with a home run
AJ Pollock hit a leadoff home run to left field off Texas reliever Taylor Hearn to make it 6-1 Rangers in the bottom of the seventh inning.
It was Pollock’s fifth home run of the season.
The Dodgers, however, couldn’t generate anything else in the inning, with Andy Burns lining out and Zach McKinstry and pinch hitter Austin Barnes striking out.
End of seventh: Rangers 6, Dodgers 1
Texas Rangers score two more runs to take 6-0 lead
Willie Calhoun and Adolis Garcia each drove in runs to give the Rangers a 6-0 lead in the seventh inning.
Calhoun drove in the first run of the inning on a standup triple to right field that ended Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer’s night.
Dodgers right fielder Zach McKinstry tried to make a running, jumping catch on the ball, but it was too far ahead of him. It bounced off the wall in the right-field corner and ricocheted into the field, giving Calhoun time to comfortably reach third.
Isiah Kiner-Kalefa, who singled to left, in the previous at-bat, scored on the play. Facing David Price, Garcia then drove in Calhoun on a single to left.
Trevor Bauer allowed nine hits, four earned runs, walked two and struck out eight over 6 1/3 innings.
Dodgers trail Rangers 4-0 heading into the seventh
A no-nonsense inning for Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer and Texas Rangers reliever Demarcus Evans. Both pitchers go 1-2-3 through hitters and record a strikeout along the way.
After scoring runs with relative ease against the Rangers on Friday, the Dodgers have been stifled so far.
End of sixth: Rangers 4, Dodgers 0
Trevor Bauer gets a hit, but the Dodgers still trail 4-0
Trevor Bauer singled to right for his first hit as a Dodger, but his time on base was short-lived when Mookie Betts grounded out into a double play. Kolby Allard then struck out Chris Taylor for another shutout inning.
Allard’s night is over — he allowed five hits, no runs, one walk, and struck out four over five innings. He managed to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth that represented the Dodgers’ best chance of scoring while he was on the mound. Demarcus Evans will take over in relief.
The Rangers couldn’t generate much against Bauer in the top of the fifth other than a single by Joey Gallo.
End of fifth: Rangers 4, Dodgers 0
Rangers take 4-0 lead on Jonah Heim’s two-run homer
Jonah Heim hit a two-run homer off Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer to give the Texas Rangers a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Eli White scored on the blast to right after Bauer walked him to lead off the inning.
The Dodgers spoiled their best chance, so far, to score when Zach McKinstry hit a first-pitch ground out to short with the bases loaded to end the inning.
End of fourth: Rangers 4, Dodgers 0
Texas Rangers take 2-0 lead in the third inning
Adolis Garcia and Nate Lowe each drove in runs off Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer to give the Texas Rangers a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
Garcia’s double drove in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who reached base when Mookie Betts made a rare catching error when he dropped a fly ball to shallow center. It wasn’t the only blunder in the inning — the Dodgers benefited from Garcia tried to steal on a single by Joey Gallo and failed to touch up while rounding third and was called out.
Lowe singled to the gap in right-center field, but was gunned out at second base to put the brakes on the Rangers’ rally.
Rangers starter Kolby Allard retired the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the inning.
End of third: Rangers 2, Dodgers 0
Andy Burns gets his first major-league hit in the second
Andy Burns, making his Dodgers debut, got his first major-league hit on a infield grounder that was too troublesome for Rangers shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa to handle. The 30-year-old Burns was all smiles when he reached first. However, he went no further when Zach McKinstry struck out to end the inning.
Jonah Heim singled off Trevor Bauer in the second, but that’s all the Rangers would get.
End of second: Rangers 0, Dodgers 0
No repeat of Friday’s first-inning scoring-fest for the Dodgers
The Dodgers didn’t repeat Friday’s three-homer, six-run first inning against the Texas Rangers.
Justin Turner hit a two-out double to the wall in left-center field but was left stranded when Albert Pujols grounded out to short.
In the top of the inning, Trevor Bauer allowed a leadoff single up the middle to Isiah Kiner-Falefa before striking out Willie Calhoun and Adolis Garcia. Nate Lowe grounded out to strand Kiner-Falefa.
End of first: Rangers 0, Dodgers 0
Dodgers place Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list with oblique strain
The Dodgers were having an up and down day Saturday, even before their interleague game with the Texas Rangers. Just as Cody Bellinger was set to return to the lineup Sunday, the team announced infielder Max Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
The Dodgers called up outfielder Luke Raley from their triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City to fill Muncy’s spot on the roster.
Both Muncy and Bellinger were removed from Friday’s game with different ailments, Bellinger a strained left hamstring and Muncy stiffness on his right side.
At a mid-afternoon news conference Saturday, manager Dave Roberts was hopeful Muncy’s injury wasn’t serious and would only sideline him a couple days.
“Cody is feeling good, better than Max, and will play tomorrow,” Roberts said. Now Muncy will be out much longer.
The versatility of the Dodgers’ roster now comes into play with players such as Chris Taylor, Zach McKinstry, Bellinger and newcomer Andy Burns, all of whom can switch from outfield to infield positions. McKinstry started in right field Saturday and will play third base on Sunday. Burns was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at second base.
Mookie Betts moved to center field on Saturday, and Roberts believes he is primed revive his power swing during upcoming games against Philadelphia, Arizona and San Diego.
“It is in line with his aggressiveness and confidence in his swing over the last week that I have seen,” Roberts said. “That stretch is close.”
Trevor Bauer, 6-4, who was trying to shake off a loss at Atlanta last Sunday where he gave up three runs to the Braves, was making the seventh start of his career against the Rangers and the first since 2018 when he pitched for Cleveland. He is 1-0 against Texas with a 4.06 ERA.
Earlier Saturday, the Dodgers called up Burns from Oklahoma City and optioned pitcher Mitch White. They also designated pitcher Dennis Santana for assignment.
Burns, 30, had played in 30 games this season and was batting .330 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 20 runs batted-in. He has spent most of his eight-year career in the minor leagues with a batting average of .268. He appeared in 10 major league games in 2016 with the Toronto Blue Jays who originally drafted him in 2011.
“He has performed well and done everything that we have asked,” Roberts said. Burns will play second base but can also go to third and the outfield.
White, who had appeared in 11 games for the Dodgers, pitched two scoreless innings in Friday’s win against the Rangers. Santana had pitched in 16 games this season and posted an earned-run average of 6.00 with eight strikeouts.
Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger out of Saturday lineup vs. Rangers
Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger, who departed during Friday’s blowout win over the Texas Rangers after sustaining injuries, are not in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
After hitting a solo home run in the first inning, Muncy sat out the remainder of the game with what was described as “right-side tightness.” During the Dodgers’ recent road trip, Muncy had been dealing with a right ankle injury that he was able to play through.
Bellinger left in the fifth inning Friday with “left-hamstring tightness” after hitting a run-scoring single. Bellinger, who returned to the Dodgers’ lineup on May 29 after missing nearly two months with a hairline fracture in his left leg, appeared to sustain the injury on the pitch before his single.
With Muncy out, Andy Burns will make his Dodgers debut at second base. He was called up Saturday from the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Rangers on Saturday
The Dodgers will look to push their winning steak to five games Saturday against the Texas Rangers.
Kolby Allard will get the start for the Rangers and will try to last longer than Mike Foltynewicz, who failed to complete three innings in Friday’s 12-1 loss to the Dodgers. The Rangers used five pitchers, which included third baseman Charlie Culbertson in the eighth inning. Allard has yet to go more than five innings in an appearance this season, but opponents are hitting just .216 off of him. He has a 3.41 ERA with 2.5 walks per nine innings.
He will go up against Trevor Bauer, who has been dominant at home. Opponents are hitting .138 off Bauer at Dodger Stadium, where he’s 4-0 in four starts with a +20 run differential in 2021.
The Under is 14-4 in Bauer’s last 18 regular or postseason starts dating back to the end of the 2020 season. The Rangers’ 5.15 road ERA is the worst in the American League.
VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.
Dodgers extend winning streak to four with 12-1 win over Rangers
Dodgers reliever Mitch White retired the Texas Rangers in order to lock in a 12-1 win at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Gavin Lux, Albert Pujols and Will Smith each hit home runs and Clayton Kershaw struck out nine over six scoreless innings to earn the win.
The Dodgers improved to 38-25 and the Texas Rangers suffered their 16th consecutive road loss to fall to 24-40 on the season.
Dodgers hold onto a 12-1 lead heading into the ninth
Charlie Culberson, the Rangers’ starting third baseman, took over on the mound for the Rangers and retired the Dodgers on eight pitches to send the game into the ninth.
Dodgers reliever Mitch White ran into some problems in the top of inning, walking Eli White and Joey Gallo before allowing a single to Nick Solak to load the bases. He got out of the inning unscathed (barely) when a run-scoring single by Culberson was overturned on review after the throw to first barely beat him.
End of eighth: Dodgers 12, Rangers 1
Dodgers hold onto a 12-1 lead over Rangers heading into the eighth
Jimmy Nelson relieved Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw at the start of the seventh. Kershaw allowed three hits, no earned runs, zero walks and struck out nine over six innings.
Nelson led off the inning by striking out Charlie Culberson to hit the Jumbo Jacks line. He then got Jose Trevino to fly out and walked Willie Calhoun before getting Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a called third strike to bring on the seventh-inning stretch.
Rangers reliever Spencer Patton retired the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
End of seventh: Dodgers 12, Rangers 1
Rangers plate a run to make it 12-1 Dodgers in the sixth
Joey Gallo drove in Rangers teammate Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a fielder’s choice to break the shutout and make it 12-1 Dodgers in the sixth inning.
Kiner-Falefa led off with a double to left field and advance to third after a throwing error by Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux allowed Adolis Garcia to take first. Gallo’s infield grounder resulted in Garcia being forced out at second, but the failed double-play attempt gave Kiner-Falefa a free pass to home.
Clayton Kershaw, who is up to 92 pitches, recorded his second hit of game — a single to left — in the bottom of the sixth.
End of sixth: Dodgers 12, Rangers 1
Cody Bellinger exits game as Dodgers take 12-0 lead over Rangers
Cody Bellinger hit a run-scoring single in the fifth inning, but immediately left the game after hobbling slightly while running to first on the play.
Bellinger pulled up as soon as he punched his singled into center, but he was caught on a field mic saying “cramp” to his teammates when entering the dugout. The Dodgers later announced he left the game because of left hamstring tightness.
Chris Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to center field on the next at-bat to give the Dodgers a 12-0 lead.
Bellinger’s single scored Mookie Betts, who reached base after Rangers reliever Brett de Geus hit him with a pitch. Albert Pujols reached base on an infield chopper that found a hole up the middle and scored on Taylor’s sacrifice fly.
Rangers left fielder Ian White made a spectacular, diving catch on a ball hit by Justin Turner earlier in the inning that helped limit the damage.
Clayton Kershaw allowed a singled on a hanging curveball to Jose Trevino, but that’s all he allowed the Rangers in the fifth. Kershaw is at 80 pitches and nine strikeouts.
End of fifth: Dodgers 12, Rangers 0
Albert Pujols and Will Smith hit home runs; Clayton Kershaw strikes out four in one inning
Albert Pujols and Will Smith each hit solo home runs off Rangers reliever Hyeon-Jong Yang in the fourth inning to give the Dodgers a 10-0 lead.
Pujols’ 672nd career home run — and 10th of the season — was reminiscent of his prime, a 417-foot shot to the left-field pavilion that looked straight out of 2007. Smith’s sixth home run of 2021 barely left the playing field, eclipsing the wall in the left-field corner for a 343-footer.
Clayton Kershaw lined out to left field with the bases loaded to end the inning after Chris Taylor singled and Gavin Lux and AJ Pollock drew walks.
While fans at Dodger Stadium have been treated to an in-game fireworks show courtesy of the Dodgers’ bats, Southern California might be treating itself to more Jumbo Jacks with Clayton Kershaw finding ways to record four strikeouts in one inning.
Adolis Garcia struck out swinging for the Rangers, but reached first when the ball went into the dirt and got past Smith. But Kershaw also struck out Eli White, Joey Gallo and Nick Solak to give him eight strikeouts on the night. It marked the first time Kershaw ever struck out four batters in one inning and it was the first time a Dodgers pitcher achieved the feat since 2015.
End of fourth: Dodgers 10, Rangers 0
Gavin Lux and Clayton Kershaw pad the Dodgers’ lead in the third
Gavin Lux hit a run-scoring double and Clayton Kershaw followed with an RBI single to give the Dodgers an 8-0 lead in the third inning.
Will Smith scored on Lux’s hit, which went to the wall in center field, after doubling on a line drive to center field to lead off the bottom of the third. Lux has four RBIs after hitting a three-run home run in the first.
Two batters later, Kershaw plated Lux on a single to center field that earned Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz a one-way trip to the dugout. Foltynewicz allowed eight hits, seven earned runs, three home runs, walked one and struck out one over 2 2/3 innings. Hyeon-Jong Yang replaced Foltynewicz and prompted got Mookie Betts to fly out.
The Dodgers also provided an update on why Max Muncy left the game in the second inning:
In the top half, Charlie Culberson led off with standup double off the center-fielder wall before Clayton Kershaw struck out Jose Trevino, Mike Foltynewicz and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to stymie any potential Rangers rally. Texas has lost its last 15 road games, and it looks like that streak will continue.
End of the third: Dodgers 8, Rangers 0
Albert Pujols enters the game for Max Muncy with Dodgers leading 6-0
With the Dodgers holding onto a sizeable lead, Albert Pujols entered the game for Max Muncy, who has been dealing with a right ankle injury. There was no indication that Muncy aggravated the injury, which he has managed to play through in recent games.
Pujols and Justin Turner each flied out to right and Cody Bellinger made Rangers center fielder Adolis Garcia put his back to wall to record the inning’s final out.
Clayton Kershaw needed only eight pitches — and an impressive, jumping-into-the-wall catch by center fielder Cody Bellinger on Joey Gallo’s near-miss homer — to retire the Rangers in order.
End of second: Dodgers 6, Rangers 0
Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Gavin Lux hit home runs to give Dodgers 6-0 lead
Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Gavin Lux each hit home runs off Texas Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz to give the Dodgers a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
Muncy’s blast to left field was his 14th home run of the season and it was immediately followed by Turner’s blast to center field for his 14th homer of the year. Mookie Betts scored on Muncy’s homer after reaching base on a rare throwing error to first by Rangers shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Turner has three home runs in his last nine at-bats.
Four batters later, Lux hit his sixth homer of the season, a blast to center field that scored Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor. Bellinger reached base on a walk and Taylor singled.
Betts, making his second plate appearance of the inning, flied out to right to end the inning.
In the top half of the first, Clayton Kershaw got Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Eli White and Adolis Garcia to ground out on 16 pitches.
Something to note:
End of the first: Dodgers 6, Rangers 0
Will Smith set to catch for Clayton Kershaw for the first time this season
Clayton Kershaw is set to throw to a catcher other than Austin Barnes for the first time this season Friday night.
Will Smith is scheduled to catch for Kershaw as the Dodgers open a six-game homestand against the Texas Rangers.
Barnes has been dealing with an ankle injury and started behind the plate Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Manager Dave Roberts said he wanted to give Barnes consecutive days off from starting as he continues to heal.
Roberts also said Smith catching Kershaw is “beneficial for everybody” moving forward because the familiarity can only help over the course of a 162-game season.
“The way that it’s played out right now,” Roberts said, “I definitely don’t think it’s a bad thing to have Will catch him.”
The Dodgers drafted and developed Glenn Burke, but the A’s took the lead in honoring Major League Baseball’s first openly gay player.
Kershaw is coming off back-to-backs losses. He allowed five earned runs in six innings in each of those starts.
“There’s really nothing in the sequence or the delivery,” Roberts said. “It’s more of just being victim of that big inning. With Clayton, when he gets two outs, usually you put an end to the inning. That just hasn’t happened.”
San Francisco had a three-run first against Kershaw on May 30. Atlanta scored five runs in the third against him Saturday. All five of the Braves’ runs came after two outs.
“If you look at the body of work over the collection of innings, it’s been really good,” Roberts said. “There have been a lot of zeroes. But, again, victim of that one big inning.”
Also Friday, Roberts called it “reasonable” that shortstop Corey Seager could begin a rehabilitation assignment in the next two weeks. Seager has been out since a pitch broke the fifth metacarpal of his right hand May 15.
Roberts said he expects Seager to need at least seven games before being ready to rejoin the Dodgers.
Why have the Dodgers been so slow to honor Glenn Burke, MLB’s first openly gay player?
Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.
On a Florida beach vacation with my family last week, I was under orders not to check my phone too much.
But I sneaked a peak last Friday afternoon and was heartened to see a tweet from a Bay Area sportswriter sharing the news that the Oakland A’s have renamed their annual Pride Night after Glenn Burke, the former Berkeley High baseball and basketball standout who went on to become the first openly gay Major League Baseball player with the Dodgers and A’s in the late 1970s.
This is a well-deserved posthumous honor for Burke, recognizing his unique contribution to the game and the enduring significance of his story. But as appropriate it is for the A’s to celebrate Burke, it also raises the question: Why didn’t the Dodgers do it first?
The Dodgers selected Burke in the 1972 MLB draft. The Dodgers invested in his development and a minor league career in which he hit above .300 four times and set stolen base records in two leagues. Longtime Dodgers player and coach Junior Gilliam shared the organization’s high opinion of their speedy and powerfully built outfield prospect: Burke had the potential, Gilliam said, to be the next Willie Mays.
Burke would not come close to living up to those lofty expectations, but he did start two games for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew in the 1977 National League Championship Series against the Phillies, and started Game 1 of the ’77 World Series at Yankee Stadium. He was a popular player in the clubhouse at a time when the roster was loaded with All-Stars. He is even credited with inventing the high-five as a Dodger.
Dodgers’ lineup for series opener against Rangers
Here’s the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Friday’s game against the visiting Texas Rangers:
How to watch and stream the Dodgers vs. Texas Rangers series
Here’s how to watch this weekend’s three-game series between the Dodgers and the Texas Rangers:
How to stream
Spectrum SportsNet LA is available with a subscription to AT&T TV “Choice Plan” ($84.99 / mo.). You can stream the game on your Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and your browser.
Fans outside of the Los Angeles market can stream the games using MLB.TV.
How to watch on TV
Spectrum SportsNet LA and SportsNet LA Desportes are carrying the games on cable and satellite providers.
How to listen
In Los Angeles, the games can be heard on 570 AM or 1020 AM (Español).
ICYMI: Mookie Betts impresses with his bat and glove in Dodgers’ win over Pirates
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
PITTSBURGH — Mookie Betts’ performance Thursday at PNC Park, an all-around rendition that served as a reminder of his elite skill-set during a relatively disappointing season, began in the first inning, when it was still sunny and muggy, inside the batter’s box.
He swatted the third pitch of the game, a 2-0 fastball from Mitch Keller, over the wall in left-center field to give the Dodgers a prompt lead in a rain-shortened, series-sweeping 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was Betts’ sixth home run this season and first in 75 plate appearances. He hadn’t homered since May 18. On Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts predicted Betts would homer “in the next few days.”
“I’ve been working a lot, as always,” said Betts, who finished two for four with a walk. “I feel like I’ve been pretty close here lately and I’ve been hitting the ball harder more consistently. I don’t know about a home run, but I do feel like I’m swinging the bat a little bit better.”
Betts then took his act to right field. It was bumpy initially. He fumbled a hit from Erik González in the second inning that allowed Phillip Evans to score from first base, just beating his throw, to tie the score. Betts quickly rebounded.
Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Rangers on Friday
The Dodgers return to the West Coast after completing a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates and will look to open a 10th consecutive series with a win Friday against the Texas Rangers.
Clayton Kershaw will get the start and for all the great things he’s accomplished, the veteran left-hander has allowed 20 home runs in his past 13 home starts. The Rangers, however, have hit just two home runs in their last five games, both by Joey Gallo.
The Rangers will send Mike Foltynewicz to the mound. He is 1-6 on the season and has given up at least three runs in four of his last six starts.
At 9-23, the Rangers are the only American League team with fewer than 11 road wins while the Dodgers are 15-14 on the run line as a home favorite, the league’s fourth-beat mark. They have allowed four runs or fewer in seven of their last nine games.
VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.