Roki Sasaki didn’t have his absolute best stuff Thursday night, but what he did have was grit. The rookie right-hander battled through choking traffic nearly every time the Mariners put runners on base, and when his night finally came to an end in the sixth inning, the Dodgers’ bullpen picked up exactly where he left off.
The result was a 6-2 victory over Seattle before 52,378 fans at Dodger Stadium, giving Los Angeles another series win while keeping baseball’s best record firmly intact.
Sasaki cruised through the first five innings, striking out seven and allowing only one baserunner to reach scoring position. Seattle finally broke through in the sixth after Cole Young tripled when Andy Pages slipped chasing a fly ball in right-center.
Randy Arozarena followed with an RBI double before the Mariners loaded the bases, forcing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to make a difficult walk to the mound after Sasaki issued a bases-loaded walk to Cal Raleigh.
It could have been the inning that changed the game.
Instead, Jack Dreyer came out of the bullpen and immediately slammed the door, escaping the jam without any further damage. Edgardo Henriquez worked around more trouble in the seventh, Tanner Scott survived a tense eighth after putting two runners aboard, and Edwin Díaz finished off the ninth as the Dodgers’ relief corps repeatedly answered Seattle’s challenges.
Los Angeles gave its pitchers plenty of breathing room early. Mookie Betts delivered a two-run double in the first inning to score Tommy Edman and Andy Pages, and Dalton Rushing brought the Dodger Stadium crowd to its feet in the fourth with a three-run home run that stretched the lead to 5-0. After Seattle trimmed the margin in the sixth, Teoscar Hernández wasted little time answering with a solo blast to center field in the bottom half of the inning.
Pages finished with two hits, Betts drove in a pair of runs, and Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to nine games as the Dodgers continued to show why they remain the class of the National League West. Even on a night without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, Los Angeles found enough offense, enough pitching, and perhaps most importantly, enough composure to turn a game that briefly became uncomfortable, into another satisfying series victory.
Here is how we blogged it:
FIRST INNING
Top
Cole Young looks at 1-1. 1-2. He grounds out to first.
Randy Arozena (no relation) finds himself at 2-2. 3-2. He is walking himself to first.
Designated Person Dominic Canzone be at 0-2. He is totally out on a challenge.
Julio Rodrigues (the other one) is at 1-1. 1-2. He flies out to Very Left Field.
Mariners 0, Dodgers on their way.
Bottom
Tommy Edman is pretty much at 1-1. His count is so full. He walks on a challenge.
Andy Pages singles to right field.
Freddie Freeman has an eight game hit streak. He is at 1-2. He is strickened out.
Max (no relation) Muncy is at 2-2. He walks. Back to the dugout.
Mookie Betts doubles to left, He scores Edman and Pages.
Dodgers 2, Mariners 0.
SECOND INNING
Top
Josh Naylor is at 0-2. He goes down on three pitches.
Cal Raleigh gets his own self stricken out.
Luke Raley grounds out to first.
Dodgers 2, Mariners 0.
Bottom
Teoscar Hernandez flies out right over there.
Dalton Rushing strikes. Out.
Kike Hernandez grounds out to first.
Dodgers 2, Mariners 0.
THIRD INNING
Top
Weston Wilson strikes all the way out.
Colt Emerson looks at 2-2 . 1-2. Down he goes.
Cole Young (Thats three movie star names right there.) is at 2-0. He is at 3-2. He singles up the middle.
Randy Arozena is at 1-1. He flies out, so there’s that.
Dodgers, Mariners 0.
Bottom
Edman flies out.
Pages has a very full count. He singles up the middle.
Freeman grounds out to first, Pages scampers to second.
Muncy faces 2-2. 3-2. He strikes out.
Dodgers 2, Mariners 0.
FOURTH INNING
Top
Canzone gets to 1-2. Then Sasaki gets this third strikeout.
Rodriguez flies out to center.
Josh “Tiny” Naylor flies out.
Dodgers 2, Mariners 0.
Bottom
Betts flies out to waaaaay over there in left.
Tucker also has a full count. He is Walking on Nighttime.
Teoscar Hernandez (Tucker steals second) is at 1-0. He beats the throw to first.
Rushing homers, bringing in Hernandez and Tucker.
Kike strikes out.
Edman is done.
Dodgers 5, Mariners 0.
FIFTH INNING
Top
Cal Raleigh strikes out.
Raley strikes out.
Wilson singles high over Freeman.
Emerson loses a foot race to Sasaki.
Dodgers 5, Mariners 0.
Bottom
Dodgers go 1-2-3–Pages, Freeman and Muncy.
Dodgers 5, Mariners 0.
SIXTH INNING
Top
Young triples as Pages slips in the outfield.
Arozena doubles, scoring Young.
Canzone is at 2-0. 3-0. Walk.
Rodriguez hits it at Muncy.
Naylor singles to left, loading the bases. Chat show on the mound.
Raleigh gets to 3-1. Sakaki walks in Arozena. He is done.
Reliever Jack Dryer tags out Raleigh.
Dodgers 5, Mariners 2.
Bottom
Betts is at 2-2. Done.
Tucker strikes out in record time.
Teoscar homers to center field.
Rushing ends the inning.
Dodgers 6, Mariners 2.
SEVENTH INNING
Top
Edgardo Henriquez now pitching.
Arozarena singles.
Canzone is walked
Rodriguez is at 0-2. It’s now 2-2. Muncy leads the double play. Whew.
Dodgers 6, Mariners 2.
Bottom
Dodgers go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th, so to speak.
EIGHTH INNING
Top
Tanner Scott (!) is in to pitch. Hold on to your hot dog.
Right on cue, Scott gives up a hit to Naylor, the first batter he faces.
Raleigh is out at first. Naylor goes to second.
Rob RefSnyder is 1-2. The Universe looks down at the situation and Scott strikes out RefSnyder.
Wilson is at 1-0. Scott sends him to first, and not in a good way.
Emerson sees 0-2. He flies out.
Dodgers 6, Mariners 2.
Bottom
Freeman keeps the hitting streak alive.
Betts singles, Freeman goes to third.
Tucker is at 0-2. Done.
Teoscar is Walking on Sunshine. Or like an Egyptian. The bases are full of Dodgers. Rushing ends that.
Dodgers 6. Mariners 2.
NINTH INNING
Top
Diaz throws three balls in a row, before his first strike. 3-2. Young flies out.
Arozarena singles to center.
Canzone. 0-1. 0-2. 0-3. Done.
Diaz strikes out Rodriguez.
Final: Dodgers 6, Mariners 2.
Get our daily Pasadena newspaper in your email box. Free.
Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m.
