BOSTON — It stays unclear precisely how a lot, if in any respect, the Dodgers will bolster their offense forward of subsequent week’s commerce deadline.
However after a pitiful begin to the month of July, their present lineup is lastly exhibiting renewed indicators of life.
The Dodgers won’t have bludgeoned the Boston Crimson Sox in a 5-2 win Friday — once they had been with out shortstop Mookie Betts whereas he was away along with his household due to a private scenario — choosing up their third victory within the final 4 video games in a series-opener at Fenway Park.
However, after averaging three runs per sport with a .205 crew batting common over the primary 9 video games of July, they continued exhibiting indicators that the ship is popping round once more, recording at the least 5 runs for the seventh time of their final 10 video games.
Essentially the most impactful efficiency Friday got here from one of many Dodgers’ most disappointing hitters during the last two months: veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
After re-signing with the Dodgers (61-43) this offseason — over curiosity from a number of different groups, the Crimson Sox (55-50) chief amongst them — Hernández began the season sizzling earlier than lacking two weeks with an adductor pressure in Could. Ever since, the veteran had seemed obviously off, batting under .200 over 48 video games.
Dodgers’ Will Smith scores on a sacrifice fly by teammate Andy Pages through the third inning towards the Crimson Sox on Friday.
(Mark Stockwell / Related Press)
On the finish of this previous week’s homestand on Wednesday, nevertheless, Hernández recorded his first three-hit sport since April. And on Friday, he saved the momentum going, drawing a run-scoring stroll with the bases loaded within the third inning earlier than belting a two-run insurance coverage homer within the prime of the eighth.
“Obviously, a huge at-bat,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned of Hernández’s house run, simply his second within the final 27 video games.
Andy Pages performed a key function Friday, as properly, persevering with his personal upward trajectory after a attempting couple of weeks.
From June 26 to July 19, Pages noticed what was as soon as a near-.300 batting common tumble, hitting .206 over an 18-game stretch. The slide helped maintain him from reaching the All-Star Recreation, then continued for the primary two video games popping out of the break — making him one among many Dodgers hitters mired in a midseason droop.
However within the final 4 video games of the crew’s latest homestand, Pages had two house runs and two multihit video games.
On Friday, Pages’ latest surge continued, together with a double that arrange Tommy Edman (one other just lately slumping hitter) for the opening run within the second inning, a sacrifice fly after Hernández’s stroll within the third, and a single once more after Hernández’s large fly within the eighth.
“I think they’re just taking better at-bats,” Roberts mentioned of Hernández and Pages. “Having those two guys in the middle of the order doing what they’re doing makes life easier for all of us.”
There have been different brilliant spots within the Dodgers’ win. Will Smith went two for 5 to lift his Nationwide League-leading batting common to .325. Freddie Freeman had a pair of singles, recording consecutive multihit video games for under the second time since early June. And whereas Shohei Ohtani noticed his house run streak snapped at 5 video games, he nonetheless reached base twice.
Two hitters who might be extra necessary to the Dodgers’ deadline calculus struggled, with Michael Conforto going just one for 4 (albeit with a sixth-inning double) and Hyeseong Kim extending his latest droop with a golden sombrero (4 strikeouts).
However on the entire, the offense (which mixed for 10 hits, the third time that has occurred within the final 10 video games) did sufficient — backing up a five-inning, two-run begin from Emmet Sheehan (a Connecticut native who attended close by Boston School) and the primary scoreless effort from the Dodgers’ beleaguered bullpen since July 3, together with a primary profession save for Ben Casparius (one other Connecticut native who grew up taking part in highschool tournaments at Fenway Park).
“It was pretty cool, especially to do it behind Emmet,” Casparius mentioned. “We kind of talked about that, hopefully getting into the same game. So it was special, and a great way to start the road trip.”
