July 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers middle fielder James Altman (33 years outdated) and third baseman Enrique Hernandez (8 years outdated) hit out within the eleventh inning at Dodger Stadium Celebrating with catcher Will Smith (16) after a one-run victory over the Boston Purple Sox. Obligatory Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports activities The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been constant offensively within the first half of the season, however a minimum of they’ve just lately discovered methods to capitalize on clutch conditions.
After two wins, Los Angeles will sweep the visiting Boston Purple Sox in a three-game collection on Sunday night time.
The Dodgers gained Friday’s collection opener 4-1 on Freddie Freeman’s eighth-inning grand slam. Los Angeles allowed two hits within the first seven innings.
The Dodgers wanted Enrique Hernandez’s game-tying residence run within the ninth and a game-tying single within the tenth on Saturday.
Los Angeles gained 7-6 on Saturday after Will Smith hit the bases on a single within the eleventh inning.
“We performed two very robust video games, and I feel these harder video games are one of the best indication of a workforce’s power,” Hernandez mentioned. “Hopefully these are the varieties of video games we have to take off as a workforce and never look again.”
After a pair of rookies, Gavin Stone and Justin Wrobleski, began the primary two video games of the collection, the Dodgers will flip to veteran left-hander James Parks on Sunday. James Paxton (7-2, 4.38 ERA). Paxton made 19 begins for the Purple Sox final season and posted a 6-1 document with a 3.41 ERA in 10 profession begins towards Boston.
It has been an injury-plagued season for Los Angeles’ rotation, however the 35-year-old Paxton has confirmed indispensable. Though he had a 7.13 ERA in his final 4 begins, the Dodgers ended up successful three of these video games.
There can be extra pitching assist later this week, with Tyler Glasnow (again tightness) coming off the injured record on Wednesday and Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) making his debut on Thursday.
“In the event that they want me now, I will be prepared,” Kershaw informed the Los Angeles Instances.
The Purple Sox have squandered late leads in each video games of the present collection. For the reason that finish of the primary half of the season, they’ve been unable to proceed their environment friendly efficiency of 10 wins prior to now 13 video games.
Jalen Duran and Tyler O’Neal have performed their half. Duran hit a house run on Friday and a two-run double on Saturday. O’Neal drove deep twice on Saturday, together with a two-run leadoff homer within the tenth inning earlier than the Dodgers struck again.
The issue is not the Purple Sox starters. Nick Pivetta pitched six scoreless innings on Friday and Brayan Bello allowed three runs to take the lead after six innings on Saturday.
Subsequent up for Boston is right-hander Kutter Crawford (6-7, 3.04), who has a 2.35 ERA in 9 street begins. Crawford is 3-0 with a 0.45 ERA in three video games in July, together with back-to-back scoreless outings in his final two appearances on the mound.
“I’m not going to get hung up on statistics or something like that — we have a look at the numbers and I do know he’s stable in each facet, pitching and all that,” Purple Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned. I appeared up and the ERA was down, the WHIP was down… Simply posting it each 5 days gave us an opportunity to win.”
Crawford began towards the Dodgers final season however was unable to earn a choice after permitting two runs on 4 hits in 5 innings.
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