Thursday, June 03, 2021

Recapping the Dodgers' Amazing 11 First-Inning Runs (June 2, 2021)

screenshot stolen from Spectrum SportsNet last night

Last night, en route to a 14-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers mashed out 11 runs in the first inning. It was the most runs scored in an inning since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Cody Bellinger finally broke out of his return-to-the-majors somnabulation and crushed a one-inning franchise record 6 RBI.

Here's a recap of the whole bottom of the first:

In fact, it reminded me a lot of the last 11-runs-in-one inning outburst by the Dodgers, which came in the 2020 NLCS vs. the Braves:

More important than winning the series with the Cards and moving 1.5 GB the divisional lead, this game showed that the Dodgers' offense might actually be back. We can't depend on Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and a recent coming of age from Gavin Lux. If we can get Bellinger healthy, Mookie Betts back to a prolific leadoff hitter...who knows how we might look when Corey Seager comes back from the broken hand, around the All-Star break.

But for now, let's celebrate the bottom of the first inning, batter by batter:

  • Mookie Betts hits a ground-rule double (17) on a fly ball down the right-field line.
  • Max Muncy walks.
  • Justin Turner singles on a sharp ground ball to left. Betts scores, Muncy to third, Turner to second. Throwing error by left fielder Tyler O'Neill. LA 1, STL 1
  • Cody Bellinger singles on a sharp line drive to right. Muncy, Turner score. LA 3, STL 1
  • Chris Taylor walks, Bellinger to second.
  • Gavin Lux singles on a sharp fly ball to center. Bellinger scores. Taylor to third, Lux to second. Throwing error by shortstop Edmundo Sosa. LA 4, STL 1
  • Zach McKinstry singles on sharp ground ball to right. Taylor, Lux score. LA 6, STL 1
  • McKinstry steals (1) second.
  • Austin Barnes walks. This is eight straight batters without an out recorded.
  • Walker Buehler strikes out on a foul bunt. One out.
  • Betts singles on a line drive to left. McKinstry scores, Barnes to second. LA 7, STL 1
  • Muncy flies out to right. Two out.
  • Turner walks. Barnes to third, Betts to second.
  • Jake Woodford replaces pitcher Carlos Martinez.
  • Bellinger hits a grand slam (1) to right-center. Barnes, Betts, Turner also score. LA 11, STL 1
  • Taylor lines out sharply to short. Three out.

Wow, what an inning. Between this, and Chris Taylor's 14-pitch AB in Monday's game (below--people, this AB takes over nine minutes!!!), this series might have the turning point for the Dodgers' season. We're in third place in the division, but with the third-best record in the NL (and fifth-best in MLB). Let's GOOOOOOO!

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