Shohei Had a Rough Day, But the Team Came Through Big Time!
Shohei went hitless in 5 at-bats but reached base on a HBP in the 1st. Will Smith's RBI single and Pages' 3-run homer powered a 4-0 shutout win. The pitching staff was absolutely lights out today.
Highlights
- Andy Pages crushed a 3-run homer to make it 4-0 and put the game away
- Will Smith delivered a clutch RBI single, capitalizing on Shohei's HBP in the 1st
- The pitching staff combined for a brilliant shutout, completely silencing the Mets lineup
Oh man, a SHUTOUT baby!
A 4-0 shutout against the Mets! Time to crack open a cold one, am I right?!
Shohei's day was... well, these days happen!
First inning, he gets plunked right away and I'm yelling at the TV "Hey, watch where you're throwing!" That sinker nailed him good, but thank God he looked okay. Free baserunner, baby. Free of charge.
But after that it got a little rough. That strikeout in the 2nd — Peterson's slider completely got him. When a guy is throwing sliders down around 84 mph and uses it three times in a row, that's just tough to handle.
The groundout in the 4th was another slider attack. He had 95.9 mph exit velo but only 52 feet of distance — nothing you can do with that. Honestly, Peterson's slider had some nasty bite today.
In the 6th though, he battled Kimbrel for 8 pitches! He was fouling off fastballs, hanging right in there — not backing down one bit. Yeah, the sweeper got him in the end, but that kind of fight carries over to the next game, I just know it.
The 8th... look, 97.2 mph exit velo was there. But 46 degrees of launch angle? That's pure pop-fly territory. If that ball comes off at 25 degrees instead, it's in the seats. But hey, we were up 4-0, so no sweat. Next game, Shohei — give us a bomb!
The Team Was Incredible Today
But you know what? This was a total team win.
Bottom of the 1st, starting from Shohei's HBP, Will Smith comes through with an RBI single to put us on the board first! Smith, man — this is exactly the kind of clutch work you love to see from him.
Then in the bottom of the 3rd, Andy Pages launches a homer to make it 4-0! NOW we're talking! One swing and the game was basically over. Pages is becoming such a reliable guy. Young kid stepping up in big moments like that — you love to see it.
The pitching staff? Nothing but perfection. Faced 65 batters and gave up ZERO runs! They completely shut down the Mets lineup. On a day like this, all you can do is tip your cap to the pitchers.
Wrapping It Up
Yeah, Shohei went 0-for-5, but I'm not worried one bit. He got slider-heavy'd a little, but he had that gutsy 8-pitch at-bat and the quality of contact wasn't bad. The fact that the team wins decisively on a day when Shohei struggles — THAT'S what makes this year's Dodgers so strong. I'm gonna have one more drink tonight and wait for Shohei to go yard next game!