The Los Angeles Dodgers lineup featured a new look because of Max Muncy and Will Smith not being 100%, but their offense still managed to put together a 10th comeback win of the season.
With that, the Dodgers snapped the Chicago Cubs’ winning streak at 10 games.
Dodgers 12, Cubs 4: key takeaways
Lineup changes
Muncy was moved up to batting third on Saturday due to being under the weather and Smith resting because of what the Dodgers have deemed minor back trouble. Muncy went 1-for-1 with two walks prior to being replaced by a pinch-runner in the fourth inning.
Muncy’s lone hit was a two-run home run that tied the game in the third. The homer was Muncy’s ninth of the year but first that wasn’t a solo blast.
After the Dodgers again fell into a deficit, they responded with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. They jumped out to an 8-3 lead behind six hits (five singles, one double) and two walks.
Alex Freeland’s RBI double tied the game, and Freddie Freeman’s base hit put the Dodgers ahead. Teoscar Hernández ended an 0-for-13 drought with a two-run single, and Dalton Rushing and Andy Pages made it three hits in a row for the Dodgers.
Roki Sasaki’s new splitter
In line with what’s held true in most of his starts, there were positives and negatives from Roki Sasaki. He pitched into the sixth inning for the first time this season, but was removed from the game after a leadoff walk and single.
More encouraging, however, was Sasaki’s improved fastball command and a revamped splitter. He threw the splitter a career-high 52 times, and with an increased velocity. Sasaki’s previous career high was throwing 33 splitters in a single start.
The pitch averaged 89.5 mph on the day, a marked increase from Sasaki’s season average of 85 mph. It also was thrown at an average spin rate of 1,170 rpm, up from the year average of 574 rpm.
Primary blemishes on Sasaki’s line were allowing three home runs, each of which came with two strikes. Michael Busch also had an RBI single off the right-hander.
The performance came on Roki Sasaki bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium.
Shohei Ohtani’s hitting
Much has been made of Shohei Ohtani’s subpar offensive production, which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts attributed to likely some anxiousness to do well.
Ohtani’s leadoff single in first inning snapped an 0-for-12 skid, and he also reached base xx more times in the win.
Bullpen bounces back
The Dodgers bullpen looked to quickly be in trouble as Jack Dreyer inherited two base runners from Sasaki and walked the first batter faced. But he and Will Klein combined to strand the bases loaded without allowing a run, and the Cubs never threatened again.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!