Gonzo Drives in All The Runs

It was the annual bark in the park night for the Dodgers on Saturday as they looked for a series win over the Mets in game two of their three game series. Bark in the park is when everyone brings their dogs to the park. You could say the Dodgers chewed up the Mets like a t-bone. The Dodgers had pushed back Saturday night’s starting pitcher Zack Greinke two days because of a sore elbow. The Dodgers were hoping that they didn’t have to teach their old dog new tricks.

Mets 4 12 1

Dodgers 7 8 1

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But it was Adrian Gonzalez who was the beast tonight. Gonzo drove in five of the Dodger’s seven runs to to back a gutsy performance from Greinke to give the Dodgers the series win. Gonz’s three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth put them on top for good. He also had an RBI single in the fourth, and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

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Greinke wasn’t bad, but seemed a bit shaky in the beginning. I guess the results aren’t as important as his health. It seemed like Greinke’s velocity and location were all fine. The feathered right hander allowed three earned runs, (four total) on nine hits with one walk and four whiffs across seven innings. It was good enough to give him his thirteenth win of the season.

Speaking of velocity, his mound counterpart, wonder kid Jacob deGrom was impressive early on, but the Dodgers got to him in the middle innings. The youngster was throwing in excess of 97 on the gun, but gave up five earned on five hits with seven whiffs over six frames. He also had two hits with the bat. The kid drops to 6-6 on the season.

It was New York’s defense that did them in again. The gloveless wonders made a costly defensive miscue in the seventh inning, but we can’t forget about Carl Crawford’s two walks that helped the Dodgers set up two scoring rallies.

The Mets jumped out in front by scoring three in the fourth. Duda’s bloop single, and a rare fielding error from Rojas on a d’Arnaud grounder put two runners on for the Mets. Then Juan Lagares’s three-run home run gave them an early 3-0 lead.

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The Dodgers fought back for two in the bottom half of their fourth. Crawford walks, and steals second before Gonzo singles him in. Then Kemp singles, and after an Ethier grounder moves the runners over, Arruebarrena’s sacrifice fly scored the second run to make it 3-2.

The Dodgers got a Greinke single in the fifth. Crawford with another crucial walk to setup Gonzo’s three-run blast which put the Dodgers ahead 5-3.

Greinke got two key double plays in the first and fifth innings that bailed the Dodgers out of rallies. Then in the seventh with the club up 5-4 after a solo home run from Lucas Duda, Greinke had given up a single to Flores. Then after a failed bunt from deGrom, pinch-runner Young stole second. With first base open the Dodgers wisely chose to walk the red-hot Daniel Murphy to pitch to the ice cold David Wright. Normally this would be foolish, but not this year.

Greinke whiffed both Granderson and Wright to preserve the lead and get the Dodgers out of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Rojas singled, and after he was bunted to second, went to third after Gordon singled off of Murphy’s glove. The defensive miscue really screwed the Mets. Scott Van Slyke’s pinch-hit tapper went about ten feet, but New York reliever Josh Edgin couldn’t make the play. That allowed Rojas to score the sixth run. Then Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly scored the seventh run.

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The Dodgers made it stand up. J.P. Howell, and Brain Wilson held the lead until Kenley Jansen came in to record save number 37. The Dodgers win 7-4! You know what they say, it’s a dog eat dog world. Here’s how it all went down at Chavez Ravine on Saturday night……

Greinke gets Curtis Granderson to fly out to Kemp in the top of the first. The left handed bat lead-off last night’s game with a home run against Dan Haren. Then Daniel Murphy singles to left. But Greinke gets David Wright to ground into the inning ending 6-4-3 double play. All is good for now.

deGrom easily retires the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the first. Dee Gordon whiffs. Crawford flies to left, and Adrian Gonzalez whiffs as well.

In the top of the second, First baseman Lucas Duda’s grounder behind first base is the first out. d’Arnaud singles through the hole between first and second. D’Arnaud gets as far as second base, because consecutive grounders to second from lagares and den Dekker end the inning.

The Dodgers waste a golden opportunity to score in the bottom of the second. With one out Ethier triples down the right field line, but the Dodgers strand him at third. Arruebarrena whiffs, and Drew Butera grounds to short.

The Mets threaten in the top of the third. Opposing starter deGrom’s one-out double gives the Mets a runner in scoring position for the first time tonight. Granderson flies to right, and Murphy is called outon strikes to get the Dodgers out of the inning. The Dodgers go down in the bottom of the third on three grounders. The Mets threaten and take the lead in the top of the fourth. A one-out pop fly single from Duda, and d’Arnaud reaches on a rare fielding error from Rojas on a sharp grounder.

Weeeeeee!!!!-Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers get on the board in the bottom half of the fourth. Crawford leads-off the frame fourth with a walk. Crawford steals second for his 20 of the season. Gonzo’s bloop single to right scores Crawford. The score is now 3-1 New York. Then Kemp singles to right. Ethier’s grounder to second moves the runners to second and third. Arruebarrena’s deep fly to center sends Lagares to the wall, but it’s plenty deep to allow Gonzo to score and make the score 3-2 New York. Kemp goes to third on the play. But Butera’s fly to left ends the inning. The Dodgers get back in the game and trail 3-2 after four.

deGrom singles to open up the top of the fifth. Granderson grounds out moving deGrom to second. Murphy singles to center and deGrom is held at third thanks to a great throw home from Ethier. The Dodger defense comes up clutch getting Wright to ground into an inning ending double play. Arruebarrena feeds to Gordon who makes a wide throw, forcing Gonzalez to do a toe dance to keeo his foot on the bag and record the double play. The score remains 3-2 New York.

Greinke singles with one out in the bottom of the fifth. After Gordon whiffs, Crawford draws another walk to bring up Gonzalez. Then Gonzo blasts a three-run home run into the right field pavilions to put the Dodgers up 5-3! That’s number 18 for Gonzo.

But the Mets fight back. Duda leads-off the top of the sixth with a home run that hits the top of the wall and bounces over. Dodgers lead 5-4 with Greinke still on the mound. d’Arnaud taps out. Then Greinke retires lagares and den Dekker to end the New York sixth. The Dodgers are set down in order in the bottom of the sixth.

New York threatens again in the top of the seventh, and it takes some strategy and clutch pitching from Greinke to get the Dodgers out of the inning. Flores singles. A failed bunt attempt from deGrom erases Flores at second. The Mets remove deGrom for pinch-runner Eric Young Jr. EY steals second. Then Greinke whiffs Granderson. After a meeting on the mound the Dodgers choose to wisely walk Daniel Murphy and take their chances with the ice cold Wright. Any other season this would be foolish, but Wright is having a down year and 0 for 3 in the game. Greinke gets him to whiff and the Dodgers are out the inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the seventh, Rojas with a lead-off single. Greinke sacrifices him to second. Then Terry Collins removes right hander Vic Black and brings in left hander Josh Edgin. Gordon singles off of Murphy’s glove, goes for a single. Rojas goes to third. Then Scott Van Slyke’s pinch-hit check-swing tapper rolls about 10 feet up the line. Edgin tries to bare hand the ball but can’t make the play. Rojas scores to give the Dodgers a 6-4 lead. Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to right scores the second run making it a 7-4 score.

New York threatens in the top of the eighth, but the Dodgers wiggle out of another jam. After Duda’s deep fly ball to center off of J.P. Howell, the Dodgers hook him and bring Brian Wilson who nearly blows the lead. d’Arnaud grounds out, but Lagares singles, and den Dekker doubles him to third. Wilson is able to get out of it by inducing Wilmer Flores to ground to third.

Kenley Jansen on to close in the top of the ninth. Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis’s bloop double puts a runner into scoring position for the Mets. Granderson flies out to center. Jansen blows away Murphy for the second out. Kenley whiffs Wright as well to end the game. Dodgers win 7-4!

The Dodgers drew 51, 215 Saturday night, and go over the three million mark in attendance for the 28 time in Franchise history. Once again proving that Dodger fans are the most loyal fans in all of Baseball.

The Dodgers now improve to 74-57 on the season. Coupled with the Giants loss at Washington today means the Dodgers now have a 4.5 game lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at 1:10 PM. Portly veteran Bartolo Colon will face Kevin Correia in the final game of the home stand.

Go Blue!

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Gonzalez Drives in Five Runs To Back Greinke in Dodger’s 7-4 Win

By Scott Andes | Aug 23, 2014