July 29th, 2024 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka It didn’t take Dodger fans long to realize that their beloved team wasn’t too happy about having lost their first two games to the much-hated Houston Astros on Friday and Saturday during Sunday’s series finale at Orange Juice Park, although it did take them until the top of the fifth inning to put the game’s first run on the board on a James Outman solo home run to left field.
Outman’s solo blast was followed by a sixth-inning two-run shot to right-center field by Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux to make it 3-0 good guys.
Things got a little uncomfortable in the bottom of the sixth, when Astros designated hitter Yainer Diaz hit the very first pitch from Dodgers left-handed reliever Alex Vesia (who had just entered the game in relief of Dodgers rookie right-hander River Ryan) for a two-run home run to left-center field to pull to within one of the Dodgers.
But as he has done several times already this season, Dodgers left fielder and 2024 Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernández would have no part of that ‘within one’ stuff, crushing an 80.1-MPH slider from Astros left-hander Bryan King, sending it 361 feet into into the seats down the left field line to lead off the eighth inning, giving his team a 4-2 lead en route to their 6-2 win to avoid being swept by the former World Series cheaters.
(@Dodgers)
As for that Ryan kid, all the soon-to-be (on August 17) 26-year-old Charlotte, NC native and first-round draft pick in 2021 by the San Diego Padres out of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, who was traded to the Dodgers on March 28, 2022 in exchange for utility infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty, did was toss 5.2 innings, during which he allowed only one run on two hits, while walking three and striking out eight, doing so on 91 pitches, of which 55 were strikes.
“I just gotta focus on getting strike one. As soon as I get strike one, I have a really good chance of getting guys out,” Ryan told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson following his first Major League win. “If I fall behind, I give ’em a chance to do damage. It’s been the same recepie since the beginning of time. But I was able to work out of some funk the first couple innings and then hit my stride, and the rest is history,” he added.
Whatever it takes, Dodgers … STAY MAD!
Play Ball!
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Dodgers have to be careful not to overpay for guys that dont guarantee they win it all. Graterol brasier returning soon. Kershaw and Glasnow join Stone Knack Wreblowski and Ryan in the rotation. If Yamamoto is coming back no need for a starting pitcher.
Closer 3B OF ???????
a lock down closer would be fine but be careful look at Bednar pirates closer
great now not 4.93 era.
go small
bring in OF
why not play Betts in the OF if he would agree to it. Best OF available be far!!!!!!!!!
Play LUX at 2b and rojas and Ahmed at short.
OF Beets TEO and Pages Outman KIKI CT 3 and heyward.
3B issue??? could play Biggio he appears to be turning the corner into a solid utility player.
I’m still not onboard the Biggio train yet. He is definitely better now than he was a couple weeks ago, but that .200(-ish) batting average troubles me.