Dodgers win but concern remains about Pederson injury

LOS ANGELES — — On a warm Labor Day afternoon, the Dodgers hit a lot of home runs and got a great debut from yet another Dodger rookie. But even with the 16-9 win, the Dodgers are again faced with another injury.

Joc Pederson was having a great game, 3-for-3 with two home runs and a double when he crashed into the low right field wall as he made a great catch to rob Charlie Blackmon of a three-run homer in the fifth inning. A run would score on the now-sacrifice-fly and then Daniel Murphy doubled home the second run in the inning to make in 10-6.

It was later announced that Joc Pederson left the game with an abdominal contusion.

After the game, both manager Dave Roberts and Pederson felt that he had mostly had the wind knocked out of him.

Roberts said that he will likely hold him out of tomorrow’s game but Pederson could play on Wednesday.

Neither starting pitcher did very well as each gave up six runs. Buehler just pitched longer than Peter Lambert.

Lambert got five outs before leaving in the second inning. Lambert allowed six runs and eight hits. Lambert had two strikeouts, two walks and one hit-by-pitch.

Buehler finished with five innings pitched. He gave up six runs and eight hits. Buehler struck out five with no walks.

Kenta Maeda restored order on the mound until the ninth inning. He had given up just one run in 3⅓ innings but then he gave up back-to-back home runs and a double. He would allow no more runs and get a four-inning save.

Trevor Story led off the game with a home run and doubles from Charlie Blackmon and Daniel Murphy quickly made it 2-0 Rockies.

Joc Pederson halved the deficit with a leadoff home run. Later with the bases-loaded, Matt Beaty was hit-by-a-pitch to drive in the tying run.

Lux led off the second inning with single to center on the first pitch. Lux would move to third on Buehler’s single to right. Pederson came within a few inches of hitting his second home run of the game as he doubled off the low wall in right to drive in Lux.

Corey Seager drove in the second run of the inning on ground out. A.J. Pollock doubled off the left field wall to score Pederson and it was now 5-2. Beaty would drive in his second run of the game with a single off Murphy’s glove.

The Rockies would get back two runs in the third inning when Nolan Arenado hit a two-run shot.

But Joc Pederson would make it 9-4 on a no-doubt three-run homer to right. Prior to that, Lux made it 2-for-2 for him with a double and Buehler walked.

Pederson joins Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy with 30 or more home runs.

Lux joined Will Smith with two hits in their first major league game this season. The last Dodger to have three hits in his MLB debut was Mike Piazza on September 1, 1992.

Chris Taylor hit his tenth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor becomes the 11th Dodger to have ten or more home runs this season. That not only sets a new Dodger franchise record, they become the first National League team to have 11 players do that in a season.

Matt Beaty led off the sixth with a solo home run, his eighth in his rookie season. He now needs two more join the 10-home run club. Corey Seager drove in three more with home run to right.

Back-to-back home runs by Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor started the bottom of the seventh.

With 44 home runs, Bellinger now has the third most home runs in Dodger franchise history, he had been tied with Gary Sheffield and Duke Snider with 43. He still trails Shawn Green who hit 49 in 2001 and Adrian Beltre’s 48 home runs in 2004.

Other notes

The Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Yadier Alvarez on the restricted list a week ago. According to the story by J. P. Hoornstra, Alvarez was placed on the restricted list for multiple unexcused absences.

Monday particulars

WP: Walker Buehler (12-3), 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 5 SO

LP: Peter Lambert (2-6), 1⅔ IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 SO

SV: Kenta Maeda (1), 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 5 SO

Home runs: Trevor Story (30), Joc Pederson 2 (30), Nolan Arenado (36), Chris Taylor 2 (11), Matt Beaty (8), Corey Seager (13), Cody Bellinger (44), Ryan McMahon (20), Ian Desmond (16)

Box score

Up next

The Dodgers will have left-handed pitcher Julio Urías on the mound to start the second game of this series. He’ll go against right-handed pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez.