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Dodgers Week 19: Max Muncy is heating up

MLB: Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Dodgers Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers finished off the interleague portion of their schedule last week by taking four of five games against the Twins and Royals. But the one loss became most notable, as it was LA’s first loss in August.

The Dodgers won 15 of 20 games against American League teams this season, only one win behind both 2017 and 2020 for their best interleague record in a single year (16-4).

Batter of the week

Max Muncy is healthy, back to pounding baseballs in the strike zone, and pulling the ball with authority. He led the team with three home runs and seven runs batted in last week, posting an eye-popping 1.675 OPS. His high for a month in the first four months was three homers, in both June and July.

The Dodgers offense was humming, outside of Sunday, but it was a group effort. Among other things, Muncy was one of six players to tie for the team lead with five runs scored.

Pitcher of the week

Julio Urías flummoxed the Twins over seven strong innings on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, striking out eight and walked none, his ninth walk-less start of the season and fourth in his last five outings. Urías has won nine straight decisions, and is 5-0 in his last five starts, allowing four total runs.

It’s not often you take a no-hitter into the seventh inning — and a perfect game into the fifth — and not win pitcher of the week, but that was Tony Gonsolin’s fate this week. He had to settle for his 14th win and 6⅔ innings, allowing just one run in Kansas City.

Week 19 results

4-1 record
39 runs scored (7.80 per game)
18 runs allowed (3.60 per game)
.805 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

79-34 record
610 runs scored (5.40 per game)
363 runs allowed (3.21 per game)
.721 pythagorean win percentage (81-32)

Miscellany

Backstop backup: Tony Wolters got the call-up from Triple-A for the weekend with Austin Barnes placed on family medical emergency leave. The 30-year-old veteran started behind the plate on Sunday in Kansas City, ending a streak of 338 games — counting both regular season and postseason — started at catcher by either Will Smith or Barnes. The previous non-Smith/Barnes start behind the plate was August 19, 2020, with Keibert Ruiz catching in Seattle. Before Wolters caught Sunday, he got into Saturday’s blowout late but not behind the plate — he first batted as designated hitter, then played the ninth inning at second base, his 28th career game at the position, totaling 40⅔ innings. On Sunday, Wolters caught Tyler Anderson, a pitcher he caught in 23 games and 120 innings with the Rockies from 2016-19.

All good things must...: The Dodgers lost on Sunday, their first defeat in the month of August, snapping a 12-game win streak. That was the longest win streak for the Dodgers since 1976, and one game shy of the Los Angeles Dodgers record. In Brooklyn, the 1924 team set the franchise mark with 15 consecutive wins. All twelve wins in this year’s streak were by at least two runs, the longest in the National League since the Pirates had a 13-game streak in 1922 that was snapped 100 years ago on Saturday.

Transactions

Monday: Rylan Bannon was claimed off waivers from the Orioles.

Monday: Miguel Vargas was optioned to Triple-A.

Tuesday: Justin Turner was activated off the injured list.

Wednesday: Ryan Pepiot was recalled from Triple-A, and Andre Jackson was optioned.

Friday: Barnes was placed on family medical emergency leave, and Wolters had his contract selected from Triple-A. Bannon was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Game results

Week 19 batting

Player AB R H 2B HR RBI SB BB PA BA OBP SLG OPS
Player AB R H 2B HR RBI SB BB PA BA OBP SLG OPS
Muncy 16 5 7 2 3 7 0 4 20 0.438 0.550 1.125 1.675
Smith 17 5 7 2 1 5 0 2 19 0.412 0.474 0.706 1.180
Betts 19 5 6 2 1 1 1 3 22 0.316 0.409 0.579 0.988
Lux 15 5 4 0 1 2 1 4 19 0.267 0.421 0.467 0.888
T.Turner 21 5 7 3 0 6 1 0 21 0.333 0.333 0.476 0.810
Taylor 14 1 3 0 1 1 0 2 16 0.214 0.313 0.429 0.741
Freeman 18 5 4 1 0 1 1 4 22 0.222 0.364 0.278 0.641
J.Turner 16 0 4 2 0 3 0 0 17 0.250 0.235 0.375 0.610
Bellinger 15 2 2 1 1 4 0 0 16 0.133 0.125 0.400 0.525
Starters 151 33 44 13 8 30 4 19 172 0.291 0.366 0.536 0.903
Thompson 8 3 4 2 1 3 0 1 9 0.500 0.556 1.125 1.681
Gallo 9 3 3 1 2 4 0 2 12 0.333 0.500 1.111 1.611
Alberto 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Wolters 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Bench 26 6 7 3 3 7 0 3 30 0.269 0.367 0.731 1.097
Offense 177 39 51 16 11 37 4 22 202 0.288 0.366 0.565 0.931

Week 19 pitching

Pitcher G Record IP H R ER BB SO ERA WHIP FIP
Pitcher G Record IP H R ER BB SO ERA WHIP FIP
Urías 1 1-0 7.0 5 1 1 0 8 1.29 0.714 0.86
Gonsolin 1 1-0 6.7 2 1 1 3 3 1.35 0.750 3.60
Anderson 1 0-1 6.0 7 3 3 1 4 4.50 1.333 2.82
Heaney 1 0-0 3.0 3 2 2 0 5 6.00 1.000 0.82
Pepiot 1 0-0 4.3 5 4 4 3 4 8.31 1.846 9.38
Starters 5 2-1 27.0 22 11 11 7 24 3.67 1.074 3.34
Ferguson 2 0-0 2.0 1 0 0 0 4 0.00 0.500 -0.85
Vesia 2 0-0 1.7 1 0 0 1 1 0.00 1.200 3.75
Price 2 1-0 1.3 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.000 1.65
Phillips 1 0-0 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 0.000 -0.85
Alberto 1 0-0 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0.00 2.000 6.15
Martin 2 0-0 2.3 3 1 1 0 3 3.86 1.286 0.58
Bickford 3 1-0 3.3 4 2 2 0 4 5.40 1.200 4.65
Moronta 2 0-0 2.3 2 2 2 1 1 7.71 1.286 9.15
Kimbrel 2 0-0 2.0 3 2 2 0 1 9.00 1.500 8.65
Bullpen 17 2-0 17.0 15 7 7 3 17 3.71 1.059 3.97
Totals 22 4-1 44.0 37 18 18 10 41 3.68 1.068 3.58

Previous weekly reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18

Up next

The Dodgers next two weeks are against only two teams. This week is the Chuck Carr gauntlet*, playing four games against the Brewers in Milwaukee followed by three home games against the Marlins. Dustin May is expected to make his return from Tommy John surgery on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

*Don’t worry, if you are blinded by the speed and can’t make the call, you will also be able to see the Dodgers play the Brewers and Marlins next week, too.

Week 20 schedule

Mon, Aug 15 Tue, Aug 16 Wed, Aug 17 Thu, Aug 18 Fri, Aug 19 Sat, Aug 20 Sun, Aug 21
Mon, Aug 15 Tue, Aug 16 Wed, Aug 17 Thu, Aug 18 Fri, Aug 19 Sat, Aug 20 Sun, Aug 21
at Brewers at Brewers at Brewers at Brewers vs. Marlins vs. Marlins vs. Marlins
5:10 p.m. 5:10 p.m. 5:10 p.m. 11:10 a.m. 7:10 p.m. 6:10 p.m. 1:10 p.m.
Urías v. Pepiot v. Gonsolin v. Heaney v. Anderson v. May v. Urías v.
Peralta Woodruff Lauer (L) Burnes Luzardo (L) Garrett (L) Alcantara
SNLA SNLA SNLA SNLA/MLBN* SNLA/MLBN* SNLA SNLA
*MLB Network broadcasts are available out of market