Dodgers Week 17: Slugging on the road

The Dodgers ran a gauntlet though two of the American League’s best teams, taking two of three on the road against both the AL East-leading Orioles and the AL West-leading Rangers. The Dodgers followed a pattern on their entire nine-game road trip, winning the first two games before dropping the daytime series finale.

The offense carried the day, averaging over eight runs per game, with especially ridiculous weeks by Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and J.D. Martinez. The starting pitching did mostly just enough to get by, except for a pair of getaway day clunkers. with both Julio Urías and Emmet Sheehan giving up eight runs on getaway days.

Dodgers starting pitchers allowed 28 runs in 29⅔ innings last week, a loud reminder that within the next week and a half, the Dodgers will likely have Clayton Kershaw back as well as whatever starting pitcher that they (absolutely need to) trade for by the August 1 deadline.

But even with the clunker starts, the bullpen was excellent in allowing only three runs with a 1.21 ERA. Overall the Dodgers had a strong week, and widened their lead in the National League West to four games over both Arizona and San Francisco.

Batter of the week

During the off day in Texas on Thursday, the Dodgers came up with a new celebration (mostly) for extra-base hits, wiggling the body with waving arms in the air, to mimic Freddie Freeman’s dancing at the Dodgers Foundation Gala at Dodger Stadium in June. Then Freeman spent the weekend giving the Dodgers numerous opportunities to use it.

Freeman had five multi-hit games during the week, totaling an absurd 14 hits in 24 at-bats. He also scored 13 runs, and from Monday to Saturday became the first Dodger ever to score multiple runs in five straight games.

In a normal week, either Max Muncy (three home runs, 10 RBI) or Will Smith (12 hits in 26 at-bats, four doubles, five RBI) or J.D. Martinez (1.013 OPS, nine RBI) might have won batter of the week, but they’ll have to settle for honorable mention here.

Pitcher of the week

Michael Grove allowed just one run in five innings on Tuesday in Baltimore, and even pitched into the sixth though he didn’t retire either batter in the frame.

Week 17 results

4-2 record
52 runs scored (8.67 per game)
31 runs allowed (5.17 per game)
.720 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

57-41 record
558 runs scored (5.69 per game)
452 runs allowed (4.61 per game)
.595 pythagorean win percentage (58-40)

Miscellany

Group effort: We are less than two-thirds of the way through the 2023 season, and the Dodgers are two-thirds of the way to the team record for most pitchers to record a save. With Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol unavailable Monday in Baltimore after pitching each of the previous two days, Ryan Brasier got the ninth inning to close out the series opener against the Orioles. He’s the eighth different Dodgers pitcher to record a save this season, four pitchers shy of last year’s team record.

DeFense: Jonny DeLuca made back-to-back incredible catches in the fifth inning on Friday in Texas, first making a diving catch to rob Leody Taveras of extra bases, then leaping over the wall in center field to bring back a would-be home run by Marcus Semien.

Tony Gonsolin on the mound was the beneficiary of DeLuca’s range, and plans to reward him for his efforts. From Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times:

What did Gonsolin say to DeLuca when they got back to the dugout?

“Thank you,” Gonsolin said. “Whatever you need, I got you.”

DeLuca had one meaty request. Well, actually two.

“Two ribeyes,” DeLuca said. “Medium, bone-in, for sure, 32-ounce.”

Grand crew: Chris Taylor’s sixth-inning grand slam fueled Monday’s comeback win in Baltimore. Max Muncy’s first-inning grand slam Sunday in Texas gave the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead. The Dodgers lead the majors with 10 grand slams this season, one shy of the franchise record set in 2021.

Muncy also hit grand slams on April 10 in San Francisco and on May 3 with a walk-off against the Phillies. Muncy’s three slams tied a Dodgers record for one season, along with Kal Daniels (1990), Mike Piazza (1998), Adrián Beltré (2004), Matt Kemp (2009), and Taylor (2017).

Transactions

Wednesday: Jake Marisnick was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain, and Jonny DeLuca was recalled from Triple-A

Wednesday: Justin Bruihl also returned from OKC, swapping bullpen spots with Nick Robertson.

Game results

• Monday: Dodgers 6, Orioles 4
• Tuesday: Dodgers 10, Orioles 3
• Wednesday: Orioles 8, Dodgers 5
• Friday: Dodgers 11, Rangers 5
• Saturday: Dodgers 16, Rangers 3
• Sunday: Rangers 8, Dodgers 4

Previous 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

The week ahead

The Dodgers are back home after more than two weeks away, running the Dave Collins gauntlet with three games each against the Blue Jays and Reds. Wednesday’s 1:10 p.m. start against Toronto is the final weekday day game at Dodger Stadium this season.