You would think that all MLB teams would have learned by now – especially a division rival – that you do not run on Dodgers catcher Will Smith, period.
During Saturday’s 6-0 shutout of the San Diego Padres in front of yet another sold out Dodger Stadium crowd (53,606), Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., and Padres third baseman Manny Machado, and Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts all tried to steal second base on the three-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion Dodgers backstop – and all of them were gunned down by the 30-year-old Louisville, KY native and Dodgers first round draft pick (a clue) in 2016 out of the University of Louisville.
for the first out of the second inning on Saturday. (SportsNet LA)
“You’d think they’d learn!” an excited Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis said after Smith’s third caught-stealing, which accounted for three of the first six outs of the game.
“Yeah, I was able to get some good throws off, some good tags by Mookie (Betts) and Miggy (Rojas), so yeah, those were big,” Smith told SportsNet LA Kirsten Watson immediately after the Dodgers huge win.
(SportsNet LA)
“It was big. Obviously, we feel that Will’s the best catcher in baseball in totality, and tonight he showed it with his arm,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame of Smith’s incredible game. “Essentially, they played 24 outs, and so, when you look at that first inning and how the pitch count was creeping up there for (32-year-old Dodgers left-hander) Blake (Snell), but to get help by way of the caught-stealings was huge and it got Blake into rhythm. Any time you get outs on the bases is big, and so, that was big from Will,” Roberts added.
As for those six unanswered Dodgers runs, the first (and game-winning) run came on a bases-loaded sacrafice fly to right field by Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández with one out in the top of the first inning. The Dodgers would add two more in the frame on a two-RBI single to right by struggling Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto. The Dodgers sixth and final run came on a monster 411-foot solo home run to center by Teo with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
in as many days. (SportsNet LA)
The hugeness of Saturday’s Dodgers win is that it moved them out of a first-place tie with the Padres and back into sole possession of first place in the National League West:
Huge indeed.
The Dodgers look to sweep the three-game series with their nearest – and fiercest – division rivals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with 32-year-old Newhall, CA native right-hander Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the Dodgers opposite 39-year-old former Dodgers right-hander Yu Darvish for the Friars. First pitch is slated for 1:10 PM PDT.
Play Ball!
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