Dodgers defeat the Twins, 7-2
The game resumed in the bottom of the eighth after a lengthy rain delay. Garrett Cleavinger was pitching for the Dodgers and he gave up a walk and a single. He settled down to get a groundout and strike out before a single drove in the second run of the game for the Twins. Evan Phillips came in and struck out Ryan Jeffers to end the inning.
The Dodgers failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the ninth (thanks to three walks), but Phillips retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Dodgers improve to 2-2 on the season with a 7-2 win.
Dodgers storm to 7-1 lead in eighth; game in rain delay
The Dodgers took the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Mookie Betts drew a walk from Emilio Pagan, who was replaced by left-hander Caleb Thielbar, who walked Freddie Freeman. Trea Turner, making up for his error that allowed the Twins to score their only run, singled to left, scoring Betts. Luis Arraez at third totally misplayed the ball, which bounced under his glove and into left. He replaced Gio Urshela at third earlier in the game, and you have to figure Urshela makes that play. Max Muncy then walked, loading the bases.
Right-hander Jhon Romero came in to pitch and gave up a single to Justin Turner, making it 3-1. Will Smith doubled to right-center, making it 5-1. The Dodger offense is like that key scene in “Frankenstein”. “It’s alive! It’s alive!”
Cody Bellinger struck out swinging for the first out of the inning. Chris Taylor hit a shot off of Arraez at third to make it 6-1. Gavin Lux singled up the middle. 7-1. You almost feels sorry for Twins fans who sat through miserable weather just for this. Almost.
Mookie Betts struck out. Freddie Freeman hit a shot that clanked off Arraez’s glove for an infield single. Rough inning for him. Trea Turner struck out swinging to mercifully end the inning.
Still 1-1 after seven innings
The game, now being played in mid-sized rain showers, is still 1-1 after seven innings. Both starters are out of the game.
The Twins put runners on first and second with two two-out walks in the sixth, but David Price got out of trouble when he retired Ryan Jeffers on a pop out to second.
The Dodgers had a two-out triple from Chris Taylor in the seventh, but Gavin Lux grounded to second to end the inning.
Combined, the teams are 0 for 16 with runners in scoring position.
It’s 1-1 after five innings
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, and with rain imminent, that looked like it might be good enough for a win. Cody Bellinger and stole second. Chris Taylor walked. Bellinger stole third, Taylor stole second. Gavin Lux hit a sacrifice fly to center. 1-0.
However, Andrew Heaney gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning. After a ground out, he hit Miguel Sano with a pitch. Luis Arraez hit a double play grounder to short, but Trea Turner lost his footing and tossed the ball over Lux’s head, allowing the lead runner to score. Brusdar Graterol came on and restored order with a shallow fly to left and a grounder to third.
Still scoreless after four
The forecast in Minnesota calls for a 100% chance of rain in about an hour, and this game has one more inning to go before it is official.
The Dodgers got their first two hits, as Gavin Lux doubled with two out in the third and Freddie Freeman hit a leadoff double in the fourth. Freeman was left stranded when Trea Turner grounded out, Max Muncy popped to third and Justin Turner struck out.
Andrew Heaney continues to look strong, striking out two in the third and stranding Carlos Correa at second after his leadoff double. He has thrown 13 swing-and-miss pitches through four. In the first three games, Dodger starters averaged seven. Heaney has struck out five in four innings.
No score after two innings
They are trying to get this game in despite cold, wet conditions in Minnesota. There’s no score after the first two innings.
The Twins got a one-out double in the bottom of the first inning, but Dodger left-hander Andrew Heaney got out of the jam with a ground out and fly out.
The Dodgers, whose offense struggled to score runs in Denver, has no hits through two innings.
Heaney has given up one hit and no walks in his Dodger debut, striking out two. Many Dodger fans were concerned about him after a shaky 2021 and spring, but those fears are unfounded so far.
Despite rainy forecast, Dodgers and Twins hoping for “window” to play
MINNEAPOLIS — The weather forecast says rain is likely for most of Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
The Dodgers and Twins, however, are still planning to try and get through as much of their game as possible at Target Field.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is expected to be a “window” until 9 p.m. CT for the teams to play the first of their two-game series, which is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m.
If the game can’t be completed Tuesday night, Roberts said it’s possible they could play a double-header on Wednesday.
“For all of us, it behooves us to get this game in and play as many innings as we can,” Roberts said.
Andrew Heaney will be the Dodgers starter on Tuesday. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch Wednesday, when the weather is expected to be clear throughout the afternoon.
The Dodgers will then return to Los Angeles, where they will host the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday in their home-opener.
Dodgers are in big trouble if Julio Urías can’t deliver quality innings
DENVER — He shook his head. He rolled his shoulders. He slapped his glove. He took a baseball from an umpire and promptly tossed it on the ground.
By the time Julio Urías’ season debut ended Sunday afternoon, with hits flying and grocery bags floating and questions swirling through the cold Coors Field wind, the Dodgers magical left-hander couldn’t get off the field fast enough.
When Dave Roberts came to get the ball in the third inning, Urías popped off the mound, met him on the grass, handed it over, took off his cap, lowered his head, and trudged purposely into the shadows of the dugout.
This was not what the Dodgers expected. This is not what the Dodgers needed.
In his first opportunity to fill the role as the No. 2 starter in a thin rotation teetering on mediocrity, Urías did not play his part, burying them with a six-run deficit in an eventual 9-4 defeat to a Colorado Rockies team this columnist had described as “absolutely awful.”
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the TV schedule for the Dodgers’ 2022 regular-season schedule:
Dodgers’ lineup starts Rocky Mountain cold: Five takeaways from opening series
DENVER — Chris Taylor didn’t shy away from the hype.
“We know we have, top to bottom, the best lineup in baseball,” the Dodgers outfielder said Sunday afternoon.
He had no choice, however, but to acknowledge the reality of the team’s opening-series loss to the Colorado Rockies, too.
“We didn’t show that this weekend,” he said.
Indeed, the Dodgers’ highly anticipated 2022 campaign opened with a dud at Coors Field. Despite a few bright spots from the bottom of the lineup and parts of the bullpen, sloppy play in the field and surprising struggles at the plate conspired to drop the Dodgers to a 1-2 start to the season.
After a loss in Sunday’s rubber match, manager Dave Roberts wasn’t sounding any alarms but didn’t pull any punches in his evaluation of the series either.
“We didn’t play good baseball,” he said. “I thought we pitched well, at times. We weren’t good situationally, as far as when we had guys on base, to cash runs in. Defensively, on the bases, I just don’t think that we played our type of baseball this series.”