There was plenty going on Monday at Dodger Stadium, with it being Lakers Night on the promotional calendar, Julio Urias’ first start since July 21, and Chase Utley’s first time facing the Philadelphia Phillies since he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After Urias retired the first two batters, he gave up a bloop single down the right field line to Maike Franco. However, Franco was thrown out at second base by Josh Reddick to end the inning. Corey Seager’s one-out solo home run gave the Dodgers an early lead in the bottom of the first.
The homer was Seager’s 20th this year, which set a Los Angeles franchise record for most home runs by a shortstop in a single season.
Justin Turner doubled and Reddick drew a walk to put two on for Adrian Gonzalez, who hit an RBI single.
Zach Eflin’s troubles continued as Joc Pederson’s two-run double with the bases loaded extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0. Rob Segedin drove in another run on a sacrifice fly before Eflin managed to get out of the inning.
Urias worked around a walk and base hit in the second to keep the Dodgers’ 5-0 lead intact. Utley stung his old team for a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the inning. Eflin led off the third with a broken-bat grounder that hit the bag and rolled down the third base line for a double.
After Aaron Altherr drew a walk to put two on with one out, Seager fielded a slow roller and attempted to get a force out at second base, to no avail. Tommy Joseph hit back to the box but Urias threw wide of home and was late to cover the plate, allowing two runs to score.
Cameron Rupp’s RBI single cut the Dodgers’ lead in half in the blink of an eye. Yasmani Grandal got one run back in the bottom of the third on a towering solo homer that cleared the visitors’ bullpen in right field.
Eflin improved to 2-for-2 on the night with a one-out single to right field in the fourth inning. Nothing came of it however, as Cesar Hernandez lined out and Altherr grounded into a force out. Severino Gonzalez replaced Eflin in the bottom of the fourth and threw the Phillies’ first 1-2-3 inning of the game.
Urias retired the side in order in the fifth, ending the inning with a strikeout. He finished with three runs (one earned) allowed and two strikeouts in five innings. J.P. Howell and Josh Fields combined for two perfect innings of relief.
Seager connected for a second solo home run of the game, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh. The Dodgers bullpen’s string of scoreless work ended with one out in the eighth when Pedro Baez allowed a solo home run to Joseph.
Grandal and Pederson hit back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the latter driving in a run. Josh Ravin, who was recalled Monday because of Joe Blanton going on he bereavement list, came on in the ninth and finished out the Dodgers’ 9-4 victory.
