The Dodgers fell behind before they even batted, again, then had to scramble for an impromptu bullpen game after another Tyler Glasnow injury. But Andy Pages and the offense were up to the task in a 9-2 win over the Pirates on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Glasnow had to leave with shoulder discomfort before his second inning even started, but by then the Dodgers had already gained the lead with a four-run first inning.
The scorching-hot Pages plated a run in the first inning, singled in the third, hit a two-run home run in the fifth, then added another RBI single in the sixth inning, tying his career high with four hits, and setting a new personal best by driving in four runs.
This followed three hits each of Friday and Saturday for Pages, who was 10-for-12 during the series.
Freddie Freeman had a two-run single in the opening frame. Teoscar Hernández also went deep in the fifth inning, becoming the 381st player with 200 major league home runs.
Behind at first
The Dodgers got Oneil Cruz out in the first inning on Sunday — not directly, as he was walked but then erased on a double play. But back-to-back home runs by Andrew McCutchen and Enmanuel Valdez off Glasnow gave the Pirates first-inning runs for the third game in a row.
Dodgers pitchers have allowed 21 runs in their 28 first innings this season, their most-scored-upon inning. In addition to four runs by the Pirates this weekend, the Cubs scored five in the opening frame at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. The 21 runs allowed by the Dodgers are tied with the Red Sox and White Sox for fourth-most in MLB.
With Glasnow’s abrupt exit to open the second inning, Ben Casparius was pressed into early action and allotted as many warmup pitches as he needed. As he has in all but one outing this season, Casparius impressed, this time getting 11 outs without allowing a run, getting the Dodgers into the fifth. The right-hander, who also got the first eight outs of Wednesday’s bullpen game in Chicago, allowed only two singles Sunday and struck out five of his 13 batters faced.
Alex Vesia and Luis García got two outs each to get through the sixth inning, and after the offense built a seven-run advantage, that cleared the deck for Yoendrys Gómez to make his Dodgers debut.
Claimed off waivers Friday and activated Saturday, Gómez allowed four singles Sunday but otherwise got through the final nine outs to close out the win, earning the Dodgers’ first three-inning save of the season and the first professional save of his career.
Notes
- Pages is the first Dodger with three straight games of at least three hits since Freddie Freeman from August 1-3, 2023.
- Dodgers relievers combined for eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks.
- The Dodgers evened their record in rubber games (the final game of a tied series) this season at 2-2, with all of them coming the last four Sundays.
Sunday game particulars
Home runs: Teoscar Hernández (8), Andy Pages (5); Andrew McCutchen (3), Enmanuel Valdez (2)
WP — Ben Casparius (3-0): 3⅔ IP, 2 hits, 5 strikeouts
LP — Bailey Falter (1-3): 4⅓ IP, 8 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Sv — Yoendrys Gómez (1): 3 IP, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts
Up next
The Marlins come to Los Angeles next, with Dustin May starting the series opener for the Dodgers on Monday night (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Right-hander Edward Cabrera starts on te mound for Miami.
