After seeing their lengthy win-streak snapped, the Dodgers have seen the injuries pile up, but at least for one series they found away to take two of three from the Marlins after they rode Landon Knack and Matt Sauer then broke out late in a 10-1 victory.
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You wouldn’t know it, but things started out rather bleak, as Valente Bellozo doesn’t get more Some Guy of a pitcher, but he dominated a Dodgers lineup that really looks decimated by the injuries.
He pitched into the 6th inning, getting one out in the frame before exiting, and the Dodgers didn’t have an at-bat against him with a RISP. They managed just two walks and a single while striking out seven times over that span.
The lineup immediately took advantage of the Marlins relief core, as Shohei Ohtani immediately tripled, and after a Mookie Betts walk it was Freddie Freeman singling to put them ahead 1-0.
Freddie singles to drive in Shohei after his triple. pic.twitter.com/kC4MOEJb2g
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
That was all they would get in that frame, but they put together a crooked number in the 7th to make things a lot more comfortable.
After Michael Conforto hit a new low in being hit for by Miguel Rojas, the Marlins also went to a different reliever, so Dave Roberts countered with James Outman. He started the rally with a walk, Enrique Hernandez followed with a single, and Hyeseong Kim banged a single into right to double the lead at 2-0.
The reliever provided no relief, as following an Outman walk and Enrique single, Hyeseong followed with a single of his own to score a run and both moved into scoring position on the throw. pic.twitter.com/ImPnOcduiK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
Both runners moved up on the throw home, but a strikeout put the Marlins on the verge of escape. A relatively amusing intentional walk to Ohtani was followed by a walk to Mookie that forced a run in, and Freddie Freeman blew the game open with a triple off the ground to make it 6-0.
Shohei so excited to hit with RISP and the catcher breaks the news to him, lmao. pic.twitter.com/pQrijP62CQ
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
Freddie Freeman scrapes a ball out of the ground for a triple to clear the bases and double the lead late! pic.twitter.com/znvkPmJaRC
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
Andy Pages then followed with a single to drive in Freeman and make it 7-0 late.
Andy Pages singles and it’s quickly become comfortable late. pic.twitter.com/0ebxQLfJYW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
With this lineup it had to be these guys coming up big and they did it (eventually). https://t.co/TJ2EWrKWKN pic.twitter.com/MdwbP0uHAt
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
A big part of that effort was Landon Knack, who was recalled to make at least a spot start if not take a place in the rotation for a bit.
He started by retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, allowing a lone single through four inning. The 5th had a bit of a scare after a lead-off double that Kim misread in center, but Knack worked around it, issuing just a two-out walk while escaping the jam.
The 6th was the real problem as back-to-back singles started the frame and so Roberts turned to Matt Sauer. Luckily for Knack and the Dodgers, Sauer continued to be excellent, inducing a double play and then getting a strikeout to keep the zero on the board.
Matt Sauer gets Landon Knack and the Dodgers out of trouble with a double play and strikeout. pic.twitter.com/FEPc3ajseL
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 7, 2025
Knack looked great in a spot start where the Dodgers needed him to get some innings at least: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 75 Pitches.
Arguably though, it’s Sauer that continues to be the real story, as he followed up his five innings of one-run ball last time out with a dominant run to finish the game today. Following getting Knack out of trouble, he also set down the next six.
After a quiet 8th that saw a pair of singles stranded, Sauer ended up getting more run support in the 9th, as Andy Pages and Max Muncy singled with two outs, and James Outman slugged his first homer of the season to dead center for a 10-0 lead.
James for three! pic.twitter.com/LAhYRYWDgm
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 7, 2025
It seemed like a Sauer was in line to complete the shutout, but a grounder to Kim at second went for an “infield single” after he threw the ball into the opposing dugout, then Muncy bobbled another grounder the threw wild to put runners on second and third with nobody out.
A sac fly followed for the first out but made it 10-1 before Sauer got right back to business with a strikeout and flyout for the save.
Nice.
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The Dodgers will now head to Arizona for a four-game set against the Diamondbacks. It’ll start at 3:40 PM HT/6:40 PM PT/9:40 PM ET with Yoshinobu Yamamoto against Brandon Pfaadt.
