Because nothing says “we’re stressed” like back-to-back home runs
It seems like the Los Angeles Dodgers like to live on the edge. Just as everyone was beginning to write their obituaries for the season after two anemic games in which they scored a thrilling two runs, they decided that, well, maybe they do want to win the division after all. In a turn worthy of melodrama, Freddie Freeman became the hero no one knew we needed, hitting home runs in consecutive innings because what better way to calm the nerves than by furiously hitting a ball?
But the individual light show didn’t end there. Rookie Dalton Rushing, probably thinking “can I play too?”, decided his moment of fame was now and hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning. Because of course, why wait years to make your mark when you can break a crucial game with a single swing? Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani, who had been as effective as a paper umbrella in this series, suddenly remembered that he’s Shohei Ohtani and hit his 45th home run. I wonder if he was waiting for everyone to count it out to make it more dramatic.
A rollercoaster of emotions (and questionable pitches)
On the other side of the diamond, the San Diego Padres must be scratching their heads. Jeremiah Estrada, from that usually formidable San Diego bullpen (said with as much sarcasm as possible), allowed a home run for the second day in a row. Because nothing solidifies a bullpen like allowing home runs in key moments. At least Venezuelan catcher Elias Díaz made his contribution with a two-run homer, showing that in the midst of chaos, someone still knows how to hit the ball.
Nick Pivetta pitched six two-hit innings with seven strikeouts, retiring 16 of 17 batters before Freeman decided to ruin his afternoon. Don’t you hate when that happens? Imagine throwing almost perfectly and then a guy named Freddie Freeman comes along and messes up your stat line. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four hits in six innings, which in modern baseball is considered practically a heroic feat.
The teams are now tied at 74-57, with 31 games remaining. Translation: We have a month of baseball ahead of us where every mistake will be magnified and every success celebrated as if they had won the World Series. Because in the National League West, apparently no one wants to win the division convincingly; They prefer to tie and give the fans collective anxiety attacks.
The Cubans, Dominicans and Venezuelans on both teams had varied performances – some had hits, others went blank. But in the grand scheme of things, what really matters is that the Dodgers remembered how to hit and the Padres remembered that sometimes their bullpen enjoys giving away home runs. How exciting the rest of this season will be!
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