The Los Angeles Dodgers were not slowed by the All-Star break as they started their second half with a dominant 6-0 win against the New York Mets.
Prior to the Dodgers extending their winning streak to five games and improving to an season-best 14 games above .500, Charlie Freeman and Freddie Freeman went through what’s become a patented pregame routine.
Freeman gets on one knee next to a bucket of baseballs in the outfield and lobs pitches to Charlie, who takes swings and often connects for ‘home runs.’
Freeman later did his part to contribute for the Dodgers, but it wasn’t before Justin Verlander carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Verlander worked himself into trouble by walking Jason Heyward, James Outman and Miguel Rojas to load the bases with one out.
Charlie Freeman rakes. 😳 pic.twitter.com/dDLRqlCpLF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 14, 2023
Those runs came Justin time. pic.twitter.com/jEbhYtlshK
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 15, 2023
Big swing in the Big Apple. pic.twitter.com/iOWdtvxYOy
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 15, 2023
Mookie Betts broke up Verlander’s no-hitter with a sinking line drive to left field that dropped for an RBI single. Freeman followed that with a two-run double.
Verlander got through the fifth inning and had six strikeouts but a season-high six walks as well.
The Dodgers added onto their lead when Miguel Rojas hit an RBI single off David Petersen with two outs in the sixth inning. J.D. Martinez homered in the eighth inning and Will Smith brought in another run on a force out with the bases loaded.
Julio Urías, Dodgers bullpen pitch shutout
Julio Urías held the Mets scoreless over six innings in a second consecutive encouraging outing. Brandon Nimmo was initially given a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first, but the Dodgers successfully challenged the call to get it overturned to a double.
Urías proceeded to retire nine batters in a row before hitting Starling Marte with a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. The Dodgers were unsuccessful in challenging the call.
The only Mets baserunners against Urías after Nimmo’s double came on a walk, catcher’s interference and hit batter. Urías lowered his career ERA in the second half to 1.75, which is best all-time in MLB history among pitchers with at least 230 innings after the All-Star break.
Yency Almonte, Caleb Ferguson and Ryan Brasier each threw one clean inning to finish the Dodgers’ one-hit shutout. It marked a 10th time this season Dodgers pitchers didn’t allow a run.
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