The record of the Dodgers is fine, but they continue to not be able to string together clean games without disastrous mistakes, unforced errors on the mound, poor at-bat quality or all three. They finally hit against the Cubs this series, but ran themselves out of runs and walked too many hitters to drop this game 7-6.
That gives them a 2-3 record for the odd five-game road trip and a 3-4 record for the season against the Cubs.
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Cubs starter Matthew Boyd has been excellent this year and he certainly started well today, facing the minimum over the first two innings on just 17 pitches, as an infield single in the 1st was erased by a double play.
I like how the signature of the Dodgers lineup has been grinding pitchers to death and recently they’ve just been like, “What if we don’t?”
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) April 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Things got better in the 3rd at least, as a lead-off walk from Michael Conforto and a pair of one-out singles from Austin Barnes and Shohei Ohtani loaded the bases. With two down, it was Teoscar Hernandez who came through, singling to left to put the Dodgers ahead 2-0.
Start us off, Teoscar! pic.twitter.com/dTKETuNGlB
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 23, 2025
Making his first career regular season start — a necessarily qualifier because he has a postseason start in the World Series — Ben Casparius was excellent in his role as The Opener. He got two strikeouts in the 1st, and allowed just a “double” in the 2nd that fell between Miguel Rojas and Michael Conforto.
Looking good, guys. More sloppy shit. pic.twitter.com/nvYmUG3jCW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 23, 2025
No matter, he worked around that and also got the first two batters in the 3rd, totaling four strikeouts and basically perfect pitching.
Ben Casparius’ four strikeouts, gets eight of nine batters, with the one reaching on a miscommunication double. pic.twitter.com/xzPaNkf4Cu
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 23, 2025
Anthony Banda followed him when the lineup turned over, finding trouble with an infield single and a walk but getting the final out of the 3rd at least. He also stayed in for the 4th, getting the first out of the inning.
Unfortunately, it was Noah Davis who then entered, and he promptly gave up a single, walk, and a Pete Crow-Armstrong homer to put the Cubs up 3-2 just like that. Uh … he got two outs to end the 4th at least?
RAISE THE ROOF pic.twitter.com/WM5wgpD98Z
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 24, 2025
On the other side, Boyd got a clean 4th, but the Dodgers rallied back in the 5th. Miguel Rojas started with a single, then Austin Barnes reached on a comebacker that Boyd threw wild. However, he gave that error right back with a TOOTBLAN … inexcusable from him.
Veteran Presents pic.twitter.com/hauXWJB90I
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 24, 2025
That immediately cost the Dodgers at least a run, as Mookie Betts doubled down the line in left to score Rojas and tie the game. Teoscar Hernandez then followed by bombing a ball for his sixth homer at a 5-3 lead.
Barnes’ boner costs the Dodgers a run as Mookie doubles to left. pic.twitter.com/ScVzmZ0I08
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 24, 2025
Big swing from Teoscar! pic.twitter.com/NbzTk7OYB6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 24, 2025
Hooray, the Dodgers have the lead!
Well, not so fast, my friend.
Jack Dreyer and his 0.66 entered, got a flyout, and then proceeded to walk three in a row to load the bases (with a double steal between, because of course). It’s a problem.
lol
[image or embed]
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) April 23, 2025 at 2:42 PM
A single, sac fly, and another single followed to drive in four runs, and all of a sudden it was 7-5 Cubs before Dreyer completed the 5th.
we like the way you think, @LieutenantDans7. pic.twitter.com/bHGAFHCXUl
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 24, 2025
everybody say, “THANKS, PETE!” pic.twitter.com/1CHeuxISED
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 24, 2025
With Boyd still in the game for the 6th, the Dodgers did close the gap again, as Andy Pages continued to regain his lefty-killing ability with his fourth homer of the year to cut it to 7-6 Cubs.
That’s a pretty bad clip, here’s a better one. pic.twitter.com/SWngeYM5VI
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 24, 2025
Despite giving up a single and double after that, Boyd finished his outing by getting the now-struggling Ohtani to popout weakly to end the 6th.
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Next up for the Dodgers was Kirby Yates, delivering a rare great inning for the Dodgers, going 1-2-3 on nine pitches with two strikeouts in the 6th.
Evan Phillips was next in the 7th and faced immediate trouble after a single, stolen base, and a walk. However, a double steal attempt failed miserably for the first out, and then he escaped with a groundout and a popup.
Luis Garcia then closed the book in the 8th, though not easily. A lead-off single was followed by the obligatory steal, which advanced to third on a wild pitch. A walk cornered the runners, but Garcia rebounded with a strikeout and double play to escape.
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The Cubs pen entered and worked around a lead-off single in the 7th, got a clean 8th, and 9th.
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Well, at least the Dodgers now get to return home for six games at Dodger Stadium, starting with a three-game set against the Pirates where they look to finally play better. First game of the series will be at 4:10 PM HT/7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET and will be on MLB Network because the pitching matchup is an elite one in the form of Yoshinobu Yamamoto against Paul Skenes.
