The Los Angeles Dodgers found a bit of redemption Sunday by avoiding a sweep against the New York Mets in what could have been one of the worst homestands in recent years.
The redemption wasn’t so much about getting revenge against the Mets as it was reassuring themselves just how capable they were of playing exceptional baseball.
Righty Tyler Glasnow was solid for the Dodgers in the 10-0 victory, throwing eight innings of shutout ball while scattering seven hits, striking out 10 New York batters and allowing no walks. Glasnow threw 101 pitches before turning the game over to journeyman lefty Nick Ramirez, who was perfect in the ninth.
The win was Glasnow’s fourth of the year, who has been one of the few bright spots in the Los Angeles rotation this season. His scoreless outing on Sunday lowered his ERA to a respectable 2.92.
Coincidentally, Glasnow was the first Dodger starter to see the eighth inning in a regular-season game since Clayton Kershaw in July 2022.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and first baseman Freddie Freeman were two of the biggest offensive heroes of the day. Both players tallied two hits and two RBI apiece. Ohtani’s two-run blast in the third inning off opposing pitcher Adrian Houser was his fifth of the year and the 175th of his career, moving him ahead of Hideki Matsui for the most home runs from a Japanese-born player.
Freeman entered the game hitting just .274 on the season, a mark that’s not horrible by any means but certainly low according to Freeman’s career standards.
Perhaps the most impressive offensive performance of the game came from Los Angeles right fielder Andy Pages. The 23-year-old rookie went 2-for-4 on the afternoon with three RBI, including the first home run of his career — a 413-foot blast over the center field wall in the fifth inning.
Amid the most recent homestand, many fans were beginning to question whether the Dodgers have enough juice in the outfield to carry the team through a successful playoff run. Righty-hitter Teoscar Hernandez has been carrying the bulk of the offensive load, while players like James Outman, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez have been underperforming.
Outfielder Jason Heyward remains on the shelf with a sore back, showing why many major league clubs were hesitant to sign the veteran the last few seasons. Heyward will likely be required to complete a brief rehab assignment before returning to the team.
Pages’ performance by no means remedies the Los Angeles outfield situation, but it does give the Dodgers a glimmer of hope of the potential they might have in the youngster.
Regardless, after an off day on Monday, the Dodgers will open a three-game set against the Washington nationals on the East Coast beginning Tuesday. Lining up to start for the Dodgers are lefty James Paxton, right-hander Landon Knack and righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, respectively.