Dodgers Week 10: Big innings & breaking even

Big innings highlighted last week for the Dodgers, but there were also extended offensive lulls, contibuting to a break-even week, winning a series against the Cardinals at home but losing two out of three to the Braves in Atlanta.

Batter of the week

Chris Taylor had not one but two three-run doubles last week, and led Dodgers regulars in OPS, runs scored, and RBI. One of those doubles was a doozy.

Honorable mention goes to Mookie Betts, who hit and reached base all week, snapping out of a recent slump. He also hit three doubles, giving him 18 on the year, on pace for 49 doubles. That he hasn’t hit a home run in his last 65 plate appearances, since May 18, is more of a footnote of late with his other production.

“He’s taking really good swings, taking really good at-bats,” Dave Roberts said Sunday. “There’ll be some homers coming soon.”

Pitcher of the week

Julio Urías allowed just one run in five innings on Friday in Atlanta, in what was just a so-so week for the starters. Honorable mention goes to Nate Jones, who is pitching in incrementally higher-leverage situations thanks to throwing strikes, including in 3⅔ scoreless innings last week.

Week 10 results

3-3 record
40 runs scored (6.67 per game)
25 runs allowed (4.17 per game)
.703 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

34-25 record
313 runs scored (5.31 per game)
230 runs allowed (3.90 per game)
.637 pythagorean win percentage (38-21)

Miscellany

Uno, dos, tres, catorce: In a tie game with the bases loaded in the sixth inning against Genesis Cabrera of the Cardinals on Monday, Chris Taylor fouled off nine pitches before connecting on a three-run double to the right-center gap. “Right now, Taylor’s like that video game boss that just won’t die,” said Joe Davis on the SportsNet LA broadcast.

Fourteen total pitches made that the longest plate appearance of Taylor’s career. The only two Dodgers PA with more pitches in this century were Alex Cora’s infamous 18-pitch home run against Matt Clement in 2004 and a Justin Turner 16-pitch walk against Johnny Cueto in 2014.

Record crooked numbers: In the first inning on Wednesday against the Cardinals, the Dodgers started off with a bang. They plated 11 runs in the opening frame, matching the Los Angeles Dodgers record with 11 runs in an inning, also accomplished during Game 3 of the 2020 NLCS. Counting the Brooklyn days, the franchise record for runs in an inning is 15 runs, set at Ebbets Field against Cincinnati May 21, 1952. Last week the Dodgers had innings of 11, eight, and four runs.

During Wednesday’s first-inning barrage, Cody Bellinger had a two-run single and found time to hit a grand slam as well. Bellinger’s six RBI are the most by a Dodger in any inning, surpassing the five-RBI innings by Dusty Baker (1977), Jeff Kent (2005), and Matt Kemp (2008).

Non-hit parade: In Friday’s win in Atlanta, the Dodgers scored nine runs on only four hits, thanks also to 10 walks and a pair of fielder’s choices that resulted in no outs during an eight-run fifth inning. Nine runs are a Dodgers record in a game they had no more than four hits, two more runs than the previous franchise mark. The Dodgers are just the sixth MLB team since 1901 to score at least nine runs on as few as four hits, and the first since the 1996 Tigers.

Transactions

Thursday: AJ Pollock and Jimmy Nelson were activated off the injured list, with pitchers Edwin Uceta and Alex Vesia optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers are back to an even roster split of 13 pitchers and 13 position players.

Friday: Brusdar Graterol was reinstated from the injured list after missing 33 games with right forearm tightness, and optioned to Triple-A.

Game results

• Monday: Dodgers 9, Cardinals 4
• Tuesday: Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2
• Wednesday: Dodgers 14, Cardinals 3
• Friday: Dodgers 9, Braves 5
• Saturday: Braves 6, Dodgers 4
• Sunday: Braves 4, Dodgers 2

Previous reviews: Apr. 1-4 | Apr. 5-11 | Apr. 12-18 | Apr. 19-25 | Apr. 26-May 2 | May 3-9 | May 10-16 | May 17-23 | May 24-30

Up next

The Dodgers run the Nelson Norman gauntlet, finishing off their road trip in Pittsburgh before coming home to face the Rangers in an interleague weekend series at Dodger Stadium. The Thursday morning series finale against the Pirates is broadcast exclusively on YouTube, with Scott Braun on play-by-play remotely from MLB Network studios, along with Jerry Hairston Jr. from Dodger Stadium and Sean Casey from PNC Park as analysts.

Mitch Keller is scheduled to start that game for Pittsburgh on Thursday, though on Sunday he was placed on the injured list with no designation. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Keller could still make that start, per Jake Crouse of MLB.com.

The Rangers weekend rotation is a total guess, as they have off days on Monday and Thursday this week, and can shuffle the mix as they see fit.