by Mark Langill
While clinging to first place and owning the best record in baseball, the Dodgers’ first 36 games resembled a balance of the stars being stars and others looking to make an impression.
While All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani provided the offense in the Dodgers’ 10–1 victory on Wednesday over the Miami Marlins, the contributions from others also stood out as Los Angeles won its fourth consecutive series.
Freeman went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games. His three-run triple during a six-run seventh inning broke open the game and helped give Los Angeles an 8–2 mark in its last 10 games.
During his batting streak, Freeman is batting .478 (22-for-46).
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James Outman, filling in for the injured Teoscar Hernandez, hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning.
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Miami starter Valente Bellozo held the Dodgers scoreless on one hit in 5 1/3 innings.
But the game tone changed after Miami went to lefty reliever Cade Gibson to face Ohtani with the bases empty. Ohtani greeted the rookie with a triple to right field. Freeman poked an RBI single to left to score Ohtani.
Starter Landon Knack (2–0) and reliever Matt Sauer saved a beleaguered bullpen that entered the game with the most innings pitched among Major League teams.
Knack, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, scattered four hits in five-plus innings. Sauer, recalled from Triple-A when Evan Phillips (right forearm discomfort) went on the injured list, pitched the final four innings to earn his first save.
“I was just trying to keep the ball over the plate,” Knack said. “The location was working with the fastball, curveball and changeup, so that really felt good.”
After a 5–4 loss in 10 innings on Tuesday in which the Dodgers used six pitchers, Roberts said it was important to minimize the bullpen usage entering a weekend series at Arizona.
Knack (75 pitches, 49 strikes) was bailed out in the sixth by Sauer after Knack allowed two singles to open the inning. Sauer retired Eric Wagaman on a 4–6–3 double play. He struck out Jesus Sanchez to strand Xavier Edwards at third base.
“It was fantastic, compared to where we were a day ago,” manager Dave Roberts said. “(Knack) was efficient and kept us in the ballgame, and then was able to hand it off to Sauer. I feel a lot different than how we did last night. Now, the bullpen is reset as we get ready for Arizona.”
Rookie Hyeseong Kim, making his first career start in center field, hit an RBI single during a six-run seventh inning.
“I’m not a power hitter or a home run hitter,” Kim said. “It’s important to get on base. Once I get on base, I can contribute to the team.”
Dodgers get contributions from stars and saves from stand-ins was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.