Just what ‘Doc’ ordered – an absolutely outstanding outing from 29-year-old Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin in his fourth start since returning from the injured list for a sprained left ankle suffered during Spring Training.

What ‘Doc’ – Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (DR … get it?) – got from the Vacaville, CA native and Dodgers ninth-round draft pick in 2016 out of Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, CA (on his birthday, no less) was 5.0 innings pitched, in which allowed no runs and only two hits, while striking out six and walking one, doing so on 85 total pitches of which 59 were strikes (69.41%).

“I think the thing that sticks out most with Tony is the fastball velocity, a lot of 95’s today,” Roberts told reporters after his team’s 4-0 shutout of the San Diego Padres to complete a three-game series sweep at Dodger Stadium. “Just kind of really executed it, command it with conviction, the secondary was really good.

“I think he probably would have been efficient to get into the sixth inning, but looking out and what we have kind of ahead of us, I felt it was smart to kind of make that the end of the line. But really impressive the way he threw the baseball,” added the Dodgers skipper.

Ironically, both hits that the hard-throwing right-hander allowed were doubles – the first by Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. on Gonsolin’s second pitch of the game, and the second by Padres center fielder Brett Sullivan on his fourth pitch of the third inning.

That’s it.

“I thought my fastball command was one of the best it’s been since I debuted in ’19, so I really think that saved me today,” Gonsolin said postgame.

When ask if he felt like he was getting back to where he was last year, Gonsolin answered with conviction.

“Yeah, absolutely. Definitely feel great, healthwise feel good,” he replied. “Building more confidence every day and just trusting everything’s working.”

Taking that irony thing one step further, the only other Padres hit of the day was a double by shortstop Xander Bogaerts with one out in the top of the ninth off of Dodgers left-hander Justin Bruihl. Although Bogaerts took third on a ground out by Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, he was left stranded there when Bruihl struck out 42-year-old Padres designated hitter Nelson Cruz to end the game to preserved Gonsolin’s first win of the season and his stellar 1.42 ERA.

As for those four Dodgers runs, the first two came on a monster 413-foot two-run home run to center field by Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts in the bottom of the third, and the other two on a very timely two-run double by suddenly smoking hot Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas in the bottom of the sixth.

“He (Padres left-hander Ryan Weathers) just threw a change-up, you know, pretty middle, you know,” Betts told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson immediately after the game. “Been feeling all right at the plate, and so I put a good swing on it. That one I knew was gone,” Betts added with a smile.

With the win the Dodgers are now 26-15 on the season and in first place in the National League West with a 3.0-game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We’re playing good baseball, I know that,” said Doc. “We know we have a good ballclub. Good baseball against a team like that puts some distance between us and them.”

Just like he ordered.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *