LOS ANGELES — A series that the Dodgers need to get back on track, and they get it done in the opener. From the get go, it was clear the Dodgers had intentions to change their fortunes around, with Will Smith and David Peralta both hitting 2 run home runs.
After taking a 5-0 lead, the Dodgers did not really get much going after that for the rest of the game, but that didn’t matter. Tony Gonsolin was excellent tonight (6 IP and 6 K’s), as he has been all year for a staff that absolutely needs him.
He lowered his ERA to 1.93 and is now 4-1, which puts him around the level he was last year, where he had his best year as a pro. It didn’t stop there for the staff however as they just passed the baton on to each other. Caleb Ferguson, Evan Phillips, Taylor Scott, and Brusdar Graterol only allowed 1 run combined for the rest of the game, and that was all she wrote.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Tony Gonsolin is as Consistent as 2022
Well not exactly up to that level, but certainly climbing there. Tony was on point tonight and has been all year, especially after an ankle sprain kept him out for a good part of the beginning of the year. Getting 6 innings of shutout ball from your hypothetical 3rd best starter in the rotation will go very far for a staff that needs all the help they can get. If Tony Gonsolin can stay healthy and consistent like this, the Dodgers starting rotation may be in better shape than we thought
David Peralta Stays Hot
Prior to his 2 run shot to center tonight, David Peralta hit .423/.423/.615 in the last two weeks and .345/.371/.500 over the past four weeks. No those aren’t typos, he has been that good. I knew it would be a matter of time before he got hot and started playing like the Peralta of years past that killed the Dodgers. He has a great approach and excellent bat to ball skills, but surprisingly he has gotten a jolt of power since coming to Los Angeles, which is something I didn’t expect. What I do expect him to do, is be a thorn in the side of every pitching staff he goes up against for the remainder of the year.
Will Smith Looks Like an All-Star
It may seem crazy to a lot of Dodger fans, but Will Smith has never made an All-Star team in his career. That will change this year. He is the best hitting catcher in the National League this year, and his World Baseball Classic experience in the spring has proven to pay dividends to his game in the regular season so far. While his defense is still subpar, and not up to the standard of someone like J.T. Realmuto of the Phillies, his offense is a huge part of the Dodgers’ success this year and it should be commended with an all-star appearance.
The Dodgers will send future hall of famer Clayton Kershaw out to toe the rubber against Mike Clevinger for the White Sox Wednesday. The first pitch is set for 7:10 PM PST.
