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 displaying renewed indicators of life.
The Dodgers won’t have bludgeoned the Boston Purple Sox in a 5-2 win Friday — after 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 recreation with a .205 group batting common over the primary 9 video games of July, they continued displaying 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.
Probably 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 Purple 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 beneath .200 over 48 video games.
Dodgers’ Will Smith scores on a sacrifice fly by teammate Andy Pages in the course of the third inning towards the Purple Sox on Friday.
(Mark Stockwell / Related Press)
On the finish of this previous week’s homestand on Wednesday, nonetheless, Hernández recorded his first three-hit recreation since April. And on Friday, he stored 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 high of the eighth.
“Obviously, a huge at-bat,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated of Hernández’s residence run, simply his second within the final 27 video games.
Andy Pages performed a key position Friday, as nicely, persevering with his personal upward trajectory after a making an attempt 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 considered one of many Dodgers hitters mired in a midseason droop.
However within the final 4 video games of the group’s latest homestand, Pages had two residence runs and two multihit video games.
On Friday, Pages’ latest surge continued, together with a double that arrange Tommy Edman (one other not too long ago 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 huge fly within the eighth.
“I think they’re just taking better at-bats,” Roberts stated 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 less than the second time since early June. And whereas Shohei Ohtani noticed his residence run streak snapped at 5 video games, he nonetheless reached base twice.
Two hitters who might be extra vital 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 enjoying highschool tournaments at Fenway Park).
“It was pretty cool, especially to do it behind Emmet,” Casparius stated. “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.”
