Following a rather remarkable pitchers’ duel last time out, the Dodgers and Rangers put on a lesser version of one today as well. Back-to-back big half-innings provided all the runs in the game until the very end, but with the Dodgers clinging on to a one-run lead in the 9th, Kirby Yates gave up a walk-off homer to Adolis Garcia for a 4-3 loss.
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Early on, there was some (a lot) of concern with Roki Sasaki, who came out throwing 92-93 mph with the fastball. Fortunately, he managed to get away with it with just 17 pitches through two innings, thanks in large part to Andy Pages bringing back a Corey Seager homer.
ANDY PAGES WITH THE GRAB AT THE WALL! ? pic.twitter.com/OFYeJ4dDAJ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 19, 2025
The 3rd … well, that escalated quickly, as a lead-off walk and a Kyle Higashioka homer off a 94 mph fastball gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
Kyle Higashioka takes Roki Sasaki yard to give the Rangers the lead! ? pic.twitter.com/xXeoYrWAVb
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 19, 2025
On the other side was old friend Nathan Eovaldi, who was carving the Dodgers through three innings, surrendering just a single over that span. However, as soon as they went down, they came back in the 4th with a Mookie Betts walk and Freddie Freeman homer to tie things up at 2-2.
Freddie Freeman launched this ball to tie the game! ? pic.twitter.com/nJFbsAj9kN
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 19, 2025
Later in the inning, Michael Conforto singled with one out, and with two outs he got to second after an odd play where he got hit with a pickoff attempt due to miscommunication from the Rangers.
Michael Conforto got boinged on a pickoff attempt, leading to a free base and eventually a run. pic.twitter.com/3FnERcmX9o
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
That immediately proved important, as Max Muncy battled back in the count and completed the at-bat by hitting a ground-rule double to score a run and give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
La carrera de la ventaja es cortesía de Max. pic.twitter.com/Dog2no0bCg
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) April 19, 2025
Eovaldi did settle back into his groove immediately, getting clean frames in the 5th and 6th to end his outing.
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Speaking of settling in, getting back to Roki, who seemed to get better as the game wore on. Now with a lead, he got a clean 4th, allowed just a single in the 5th, and faced the minimum in the 6th after a walk was erased by a double play.
Hard not to be encouraged despite the weird velocity fluctuations that ranged from 92 mph to 97 mph: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 78 Pitches.
Some good fortune today, but all said and done Roki set an innings high for the third start in a row and his ERA is just 3.2 this year.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
The split is filthy. pic.twitter.com/3jjURI7wC3
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
Taking over for him was Jack Dreyer in the 7th, who once again cruised through a 12-pitch clean frame. Making his 2025 debut in the 8th was Evan Phillips, who notched a pair of strikeouts to start and then gave up a single after getting ahead 0-2.
Evan Phillips’ sweeper still takes hard lefts as he gets his first strikeout of the year coming back from injury. pic.twitter.com/4BiNlDzQGC
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
That brought up Corey Seager and thus brought in Alex Vesia, who responded with a strikeout.
Vesia comes in for Seager and gets him, expresses rare emotion. pic.twitter.com/moBbsRRYHT
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
They wouldn’t get much help in the form of insurance.
The Dodgers missed a chance to add on against the Rangers pen in the 7th, as a lead-off walk by Will Smith was picked off trying to steal second, and Enrique Hernandez immediately followed with a double that probably would’ve scored him and was then stranded there.
They then did nothing in the 8th and 9th … man, rough showing on that end.
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So to close things out with a one-run lead was Kirby Yates Josh Smith barely missed a tying homer and then poked a double on the next pitch.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
Adolis Garcia then obliterated a fastball to left for a walk-off two-run shot.
ADOLIS GARCÍA WALK OFF AGAINST THE DODGERS!!!! 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/MIH8SaIMLv
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 19, 2025
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Umpire had feelings.
An “ohhh, SHIT” with feeling. pic.twitter.com/iz8X15vaaP
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
Max Muncy, defensive specialist.
Solid series so far for my Max Muncy is closer to average defensively than you think agenda. pic.twitter.com/bEe0guTGlM
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 19, 2025
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That snaps a four-game win streak.
NL WestRecordGBPadres15-5*–Dodgers15-71Giants13-7*2Diamondbacks12-93.5
The series final will be tomorrow on Easter Sunday (4/20, lmao) and at somehow even earlier at 8:35 AM HT/11:35 AM PT/2:35 PM ET. Tyler Glasnow will face off against Tyler Mahle.
