The Los Angeles Dodgers returned to Chase Field for the first time since they were eliminated in the 2023 National League Division Series, and they got some minor revenge with an 8-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But the most impressive part of the game was the Dodgers lineup collectively did not strike out once all night. They took 44 plate appearances and recorded 10 hits with eight walks, along with an impressive zero strikeouts.
The last time the Dodgers played an entire game without striking out was Aug. 28, 2006, and they became the first MLB team to accomplish it this season. In addition, it’s the most plate appearances a team has had without a strikeout since the Cleveland Guardians went without one over 46 trips to the plate on July 28, 2017.
Not every player was aware of the feat, but all were impressed by their accomplishment, including Freddie Freeman, who was informed after the game, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Is that what we did?” Freddie Freeman said when asked about the feat after the game.
“I’d say that’s very difficult. In today’s game? We faced a lot of different pitchers, with the kind of stuff they have, to not strike out? Didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.”
Kiké Hernández was one of the only players who noticed during the game, but even he couldn’t believe it and first thought the Diamondbacks just didn’t have the correct total up on the scoreboard:
“I didn’t notice until the ninth inning,” Kiké Hernandez said. “I thought the team just kind of gave up on the game and removed all the Ks. It was the ninth inning, when we got the first out, and I pointed at Pages to tell each other one out. And it was in the same point of view. I was like, ‘What the (heck)? No Ks?’
“We finished the game, we got in the huddle in the outfield, and I was like, ‘I think we didn’t strike out tonight.’ And in the (handshake) line I asked Rob (hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc), ‘Did we not strike out?’ And he goes, ‘No.’ I was like, that’s pretty (expletive) cool.’”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also impressed by what his club was able to do, and believes it’s an indication of their talent level:
“Half of your at-bats come with two strikes in the big leagues,” Roberts said. “So there’s got to be a definitive two-strike approach. And you’ve got to have some bat-to-ball. And you’ve got to value that. And our guys do. They’re showing it. And it’s good to see some results too.
“When you value moving the ball forward, you see the ball a little bit longer, you can take some borderline pitches, you earn pitches in the strike zone that you can do some things with. And if they don’t throw it over the plate, you take your base. So I just like the way that we’re getting hits, and not just going for slug.”
Last year, MLB hitters struck out 22.7% of the time, and so far this season, the league-wide strikeout rate is at 22.5%. By those averages, roughly 10 players should have gone down on strikes. As for the Dodgers, they have struck out 22% of their plate appearances.
Considering it took almost 18 years since the Dodgers played their last game with no strikeouts, all their players should be proud of their accomplishment.
Every player contributes to Dodgers’ win
Aside from not striking out, every player in the lineup also contributed to the victory in some way. The only two players without a hit, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy, both reached base, with the former drawing two walks and the latter scoring a run after being hit by a pitch.
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández each had two hits, while Andy Pages drove in three runs.
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