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Bryce Harper homers and doubles against Dodgers for the third game in a row
The Dodgers took heat for not aggressively pursuing free agent Bryce Harper after the 2018 season. They were flush with money from their TV deal and had yet to splurge on the likes of Mookie Betts, Trevor Bauer and Freddie Freeman.
They made Harper an 11th-hour offer of about $160 million over four years, but the outfielder opted to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies for $330 million over 13 years.
Not that the Dodgers regret failing to reel in Harper, not after winning a World Series in 2020 and having stacks of cash to spend on the likes of Betts and Freeman (let’s leave Bauer, ahem, out of the equation).
Harper was the National League MVP last season, but the Phillies haven’t come close to matching the Dodgers in the win column despite their own spending spree.
Until the last three nights.
Harper hit a three-run home run in the third inning of the Phillies’ 8-3 victory Saturday after triggering a three-run rally in the first with a two-out double against Julio Urías that was followed by Justin Turner’s error and Jean Segura’s home run.
Dodgers’ losing streak stretches to four games in loss to Phillies
The Dodgers were shut out in the ninth inning, with Phillies reliever Connor Brogdon striking out Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Edwin Rios to end the game.
Philadelphia hit four home runs over the first four innings and didn’t look back, relying on a strong performance by its bullpen to send the Dodgers to their fourth consecutive loss.
The Dodgers will look to snap their losing streak Sunday when the two teams meet in the series finale.
⚾ FINAL: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Dodgers trail Phillies 8-3 heading into the ninth inning
Bryce Harper reached first on a fielding error by Dodgers reliever Reyes Moronta, but went nowhere with Nick Castellanos, Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto being retired in order.
Facing Phillies reliever Seanthony Dominguez, Freddie Freeman drew a one-out walk, but was left stranded when Trea Turner struck out and Justin Turner lined out to third.
⚾ End of the eighth: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Dodgers struggling at the plate, trail 8-3 after seven innings
Reyes Moronta relieved Julio Urías in the seventh, benefiting from Alex Bohm grounding out into a double play as part of a 1-2-3 inning. Urías allowed five earned runs, eight hits — including four home runs — and struck out three over six innings.
At the plate, another quiet inning for the Dodgers, who went down in order for the third consecutive inning.
⚾ End of the seventh: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Dodgers trail Phillies 8-3 heading into the seventh inning
Julio Urias has retired the last seven batters he has faced. He struck out J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber to start the sixth inning before Johan Camargo flied out to second.
The Dodgers, however, aren’t mustering much at the plate. Will Smith, Justin Turner and Chris Taylor went down in order in the bottom of the sixth. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez has kept the Dodgers in check, retiring the last eight batters he has faced while allowing five hits and striking out six over 86 pitches.
⚾ End of the sixth: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Dodgers and Phillies go down in order in the fifth
After giving up a pair of home runs in the fourth, Julio Urías oversees a 1-2-3 inning for the Dodgers. The Dodgers also went down in order, with Mookie Betts striking out and Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner lining out.
⚾ End of the fifth: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Dodgers give up two more home runs, trail 8-3 after four innings
Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins hit solo home runs off Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías to extend the Phillies’ lead in the fourth inning.
Schwarber also homered in Philadelphia’s win over the Dodgers on Friday. It marked the first time Urías has allowed four home runs in a game.
The Dodgers responded in the bottom half of the inning, with Cody Bellinger hitting a bases-loaded, two-run double to make the score 8-3 Phillies.
Will Smith and Justin Turner opened the frame with singles and scored on Bellinger’s sharp grounder to right field. Hanser Alberto struck out and Austin Barnes flied out to leave Chris Taylor and Bellinger on base.
A decent rally by the Dodgers, but they’ll need a lot more to make up for the four home runs they’ve allowed. Urías will remain on the mound in the fifth.
⚾ End of the fourth: Phillies 8, Dodgers 3
Bryce Harper hits three-run homer to give Phillies 6-1 lead
Bryce Harper continued his tear against the Dodgers, hitting a three-run home run off Julio Urías to give the Phillies a 6-1 lead in the third inning. Harper has a home run in every game of this series so far.
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Third inning recap: Rhys Hoskins hit a leadoff single and Alec Bohn followed with a rocket into right-center field for a double before Harper’s ninth home run of the season. It was Harper’s seventh extra-base hit against the Dodgers in the series. After the homer, Nick Castellanos slapped a single to right field for Philadelphia’s sixth hit of the game.
Jean Segura then hit into a double play before J.T. Realmuto popped out to cap the frame. The Dodgers have allowed 33 hits and six home runs in their last 22 innings against the Phillies.
The Dodgers couldn’t muster an immediate response at the plate — Austin Barnes, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were retired in order.
⚾ End of the third: Phillies 6, Dodgers 1
Phillies hold onto 3-1 lead heading into the third inning
Second inning recap: It was a 1-2-3 inning for Julio Urías and the Dodgers — Kyle Schwarber, Johan Camargo and Roman Quinn each popped out.
At the plate, Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger grounded out before Hanser Alberto flied out to deep right-center field. After the excitement of the first, a ho-hum inning.
⚾ End of the second: Phillies 3, Dodgers 1
Dodgers trail 3-1 in the first; Mookie Betts leads off with homer
Philadelphia’s Jean Segura hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning before Mookie Betts hit a leadoff homer for the Dodgers in the bottom half to make it 3-1 Phillies.
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First inning recap: Julio Urías opened by striking out Rhys Hoskins and getting Alec Bohm to fly out to center before Bryce Harper doubled on a line drive into the left-field corner. Nick Castellanos reached first on a throwing error to first by Justin Turner before Jean Segura hit his sixth home run of the season. J.T. Realmuto flied out to right to cap the frame.
Facing Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, Mookie Betts clobbered his sixth home run of the season into the pavilion in right-center field to cut into the Phillies’ lead. After Freddie Freeman struck out, Trea Turner doubled on a liner to right field. Turner was left stranded after Will Smith flied out and Justin Turner struck out.
Pitching was a major issue in the Dodgers’ loss to the Phillies on Friday night — a 12-10 loss in 10 innings — and Dodgers can ill-afford to make an early dip into their bullpen tonight. Of course, the Dodgers’ starting lineup is good enough on paper to surpass the output of any team in the majors.
⚾ End of the first: Phillies 3, Dodgers 1
Blake Treinen says shoulder injury is about ‘conviction,’ not discomfort
Blake Treinen’s mystery shoulder ailment came no closer to being explained despite the best efforts of the Dodgers’ high-leverage reliever Saturday.
Treinen hasn’t pitched in a month and it’s likely to be at least another two months before he pitches again.
Why?
“Honestly, I feel really good right now,” he said. “It’s not something that’s causing a lot of discomfort. It’s more of a conviction thing. I’m taking it day by day to get myself right. When the conviction comes back and I can start throwing, we’ll go from there.”
Blake Treinen is out until at least after the All-Star break, with the reliever set to rehab shoulder inflammation. Victor González will also miss more time.
Treinen is sorely missed, especially while the Dodgers are in the midst of playing 31 games in 30 days. Yet he isn’t willing to even pick up a baseball right now for fear that the pain he experienced in mid-April will return with a vengeance.
“The reason I’m on the [injured list] is that when I was throwing there was some trust issues, so for now we’re just trying to build my strength back so I can contribute to the team,” he said.
Dodgers pitcher Michael Grove expected to make MLB debut Sunday
At first glance, Michael Grove might seem an odd choice to make his major league debut Sunday, just as he looked like an odd choice for the Dodgers to draft in the second round in 2018.
But sure enough, the Dodgers are expected to employ him as the starter or bulk reliever in the series finale with the Phillies.
Grove, 25, was 13 months removed from Tommy John surgery when the Dodgers drafted him out of West Virginia. And in 139 minor league innings, he has posted an ERA of 6.60, giving up 27 home runs among 157 hits.
But he has been effective in five starts this season with double-A Tulsa, striking out 22 and walking five in 16 1/3 innings.
Grove also has manager Dave Roberts in his corner.
“I like Michael, he’s a competitor,” Roberts said. “He’s got a fastball in the mid 90s, a 12-6 old-school curve and there’s a changeup in there. ... He’s just really matured. A really, good competitor, a good guy.”
Starting lineups for Dodgers vs. Phillies on Saturday
Here’s who will be starting for the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night in Chavez Ravine:
ICYMI: Day of Dodgers misfortune ends with 12-10 loss to Phillies
Friday the 13th was not a good day for the Dodgers.
The misfortune started when the team placed Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list in the morning and ended nearing midnight with a 12-10, 10-inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium for their third consecutive defeat.
The script was reminiscent of the Phillies’ 9-7 series-opening win Thursday — plenty of offense on both sides, a Dodgers comeback to tie the game, and a Dodgers bullpen collapse. On Friday, Justin Turner blasted a game-tying, two-run home run with one out in the ninth inning before the Phillies scored three runs off Brusdar Graterol and escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 10th.
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: