The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a sweep over the Seattle Mariners with an 8-4 win as their offense broke out behind a strong start from Jack Flaherty.
The Mariners scored first in the game, picking up a second inning run on a sacrifice fly from Dominic Canzone. Outside of that, Flaherty was exceptional.
He ran into some trouble in the sixth inning, but should have got out of it not for an error from Gavin Lux, which loaded the bases. That ended Flaherty’s night with Anthony Banda coming in to replace him.
Banda walked the first hitter he faced to bring in a run, but struck out the next one to get out of the inning, closing the book on Flaherty, who finished his outing with 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts to one walk.
The Dodgers took the lead in the third inning and never looked back. Kevin Kiermaier reached on an error and Shohei Ohtani drew a walk before Mookie Betts doubled home the pair to make it a 2-1 game.
The Dodgers added on in the fourth inning when Will Smith hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Teoscar Hernández, who reached on a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Now with a 3-1 lead, the Dodgers broke the game open with a five-run inning in the fifth. Ohtani hit a one-out single and proceeded to steal second to start them off, giving him his 39th stolen base of the year.
Freddie Freeman doubled him home and Hernández followed with a single to drive home Freeman. Lux singled and Smith took a walk to load the bases before Max Muncy cleared them all with a three-run double.
The Mariners scored their third run in the eighth inning against Blake Treinen, who was making his first appearance since returning from the 15-day injured list.
In the ninth, Mitch Haniger launched a pinch-hit home run to make it an 8-4 game.
The Dodgers now improved on their MLB-best record at 76-52.
Dodgers & Mariners benches clear
After the top of the third inning, the Dodgers and Mariners benches cleared as both teams ran onto the field. There was no brawl, but it spawned over an argument between Flaherty and Randy Arozarena.
In the second inning, Arozarena blasted a ball down the left field line that ended up being foul. On the next pitch, Flaherty hit him with a sinker.
Although it was unintentional, Arozarena took issue with the pitch and started down Flaherty as the two exchanged words before the batter took first base.
When he came up again in the third, Arozarena flied out to end the inning, and as both he and Flaherty were walking off the field, the two exchanged more words, prompting the benches to clear briefly.
As Arozarena walked to left field for the bottom of the inning, he yelled at the Dodgers dugout more and made multiple hand gestures toward them.
Arozarena was loudly booed by Dodgers fans in his third, fourth and fifth at-bats, but nothing else came of it.
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