The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed the St. Louis Cardinals to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series beginning Monday night and got some revenge for being swept at Busch Stadium earlier in the season with an 8-0 victory.
Tony Gonsolin, one of the organization’s top pitching prospect, made his second career Major League start, first appearance at home, and was good as advertised.
The right-hander did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning, retiring 14 of the first 15 batters he faced to begin the game.
Only one runner reached second base against Gonsolin as he was in control all night, tossing six shutout innings. He gave up just two hits while striking out seven and walking one to earn his first career victory.
Being able to attack hitters the way Gonsolin did is easier to do when your offense gives you some early run support. And that was exactly what happened as the Dodgers scored eight runs in the first five innings to break it open.
That began with three runs in the first inning after Joc Pederson singled to lead things off and Max Muncy drew a walk. ONE batter later, Cody Bellinger launched a towering home run that landed in the Loge section in down the right-field line.
Bellinger now has 37 home runs on the season as he continues to close in his career high of 39 and the Dodgers franchise record of 49 set by Shawn Green in 2002.
Pederson had been slumping a bit but he broke out of it in a big way in the fourth inning with a laser shot to right field for his 24th home run of the year. Pederson finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk in what was his best offensive game in weeks.
Every Dodgers position player who started the game recorded a hit except for Muncy, although he walked three times so still found a way to contribute in the victory. Muncy also had a highlight play at second base to rob Yairo Muñoz of a hit in the seventh inning.
