May 17
by Rowan Kavner
The left side of the diamond is often open for the Dodgers’ lefties if they want to use it. Max Muncy found his opening Monday night.
Manager Dave Roberts watched earlier in the day on the field at Dodger Stadium as a group of players including Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux worked on their bunting — not for sacrifices, but for chances to reach base against the shift. The Dodgers went from small ball to long ball later that night, as Muncy started the sixth inning with a bunt single that was followed immediately by Chris Taylor’s two-run home run in a 5–4 win against a Diamondbacks team that took two of three games from the Dodgers last month.
Roberts didn’t expect to see the work translate so quickly, but the insurance runs were vital in solidifying a second straight Dodger comeback victory.
“Credit goes to Max in putting in the work before the game to try to be that complete baseball player and taking what the defense gives you,” Roberts said. “I really believe that sparked that inning, and CT got a fastball and we put up a crooked number right there and guys were happy about it. Just to see his work play out so quickly, credit to him.”
Another Dodger left-hander unafraid to use the whole field also made an impact.
Freddie Freeman’s team-leading 11th double of the season slapped to left field gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night in the fifth inning against Madison Bumgarner, who had held the Dodgers scoreless for four innings.
The go-ahead frame began with a double from Taylor, who has followed a 1-for-20 stretch by reaching base twice in five straight games. Taylor was 3-for-26 in his career against Bumgarner before recording back-to-back extra-base hits against the veteran lefty Monday night.
“I actually haven’t had a whole lot of success with him in the past,” Taylor said. “Tonight on that double I got a pitch out over the plate I could handle and drive to the gap, and that was good for my confidence going forward.”
Austin Barnes followed Taylor’s double with a walk, setting up a one-out RBI opportunity for Mookie Betts, who didn’t disappoint. Betts, who came feet away from his third straight game with a home run two innings prior, ripped the hardest-hit ball of the day 105.3 mph off the bat to center field.
As Betts looked down to touch first base, he saw the ball get by Alek Thomas and roll to the wall. Two runs crossed the plate to tie the game and put Betts in position to score on Freeman’s double. That marked the last inning for Bumgarner.
“He was pitching pretty good, kind of cruising, really,” Betts said. “But things can turn. Our lineup’s really good. We just have to put together a whole game instead of just an inning.”
The Dodgers scored all their runs Monday in two innings, which was enough to get a lead for Tony Gonsolin in a much-needed six-inning performance from the fourth-year Dodger starter.
In the midst of 31 games in 30 days, with Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney still on the mend in the rotation and with a doubleheader looming on Tuesday, Gonsolin’s quality start came at a quality time.
Building on his five scoreless innings his last time out against the Giants, Gonsolin had already recorded a season-high six strikeouts through five innings. His 92 pitches were his most in a game since his rookie season in 2019.
“ I’ve just been trying to get some early contact,” Gonsolin said. “Talked with Kersh a lot, just on how to go deeper in the game, what works and what doesn’t work. Just trying to figure out a way that works for me and get those early contact.”
Gonsolin allowed his second home run of the season but ran into little trouble the rest of the way. The only other run the Diamondbacks scored came after a blooper dropped in for a double and an error on a grounder in the fourth inning. He was given the opportunity to see the Diamondbacks lineup a third time in the sixth inning and got through it unscathed.
Roberts described the performance afterward as “a defining moment” for Gonsolin’s maturation as a big-league pitcher.
“I can’t recall all the outings he’s had this year, but this had to be one of the top ones he’s had,” Roberts said. “I just thought he was in complete control of his entire mix tonight. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen it. For him to give us six innings and be efficient at it was really impressive.”
The next Dodger pitcher to enter had his own defining moment, as Caleb Ferguson returned to a big-league mound for the first time since Sept. 15, 2020. In his first game back from Tommy John surgery, Ferguson allowed a walk before retiring each of the next three batters he faced, including a strikeout that left shortstop Geraldo Perdomo stumbling to the ground.
Despite the first home run of the year allowed by Craig Kimbrel, who preserved his sixth save of the season while watching his velocity tick up over 98 mph, the Dodger bullpen preserved Gonsolin’s fourth win of the year. He is now 4–0 with a 1.64 ERA through seven starts.
“I feel like I’m in a good routine right now,” Gonsolin said. “I’m just gonna try to maintain that.”
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