Eight scoreless from Sasaki, Freeman walks it off, and they did it without Muncy or Freeland in the lineup. Good teams find a way — and tonight, the Dodgers found one. This is Dodgers Daily, and after that Ketel Marte gut punch earlier this week, I needed all eight of those innings. We’ve got the Sasaki gem, the Muncy injury loop finally closed, Roberts on the Mookie decision, and the pitching coach going on record about River Ryan. Stick around. From Stacie Wheeler at True Blue LA:
Roki Sasaki delivered the best start of his MLB career Friday night against the Angels (24-40) in what became a scoreless pitcher’s duel through the first eight innings. Freddie Freeman walked off with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers the 1-0 win against the Angels in the series opener.
Stacie Wheeler at True Blue LA has the recap. Roki Sasaki: seven innings, two hits, ten strikeouts, no runs. Career-high in Ks. That’s about as clean an answer as you’re going to get to a week of people asking whether this rotation can carry the load. And Muncy’s out, Freeland’s out, they had nothing up there through eight, and Freeman just ends it. Solo shot, walk-off, done. I was hedging on the depth thing all week — not anymore. Worth noting too: Miguel Rojas made a bare-hand throw that kept the game clean defensively. So this wasn’t just a pitching gem — the whole operation held together with two regulars missing. Two days ago it’s Ketel Marte walking it off against us. Tonight it’s Freddie Freeman walking it off for us. I’m absolutely cashing that receipt. Sports Illustrated, with Noah Camras:
Max Muncy is out of the Dodgers lineup one day after being involved in a scary collision at first base. For what it's worth, manager Dave Roberts said Muncy was going to be out on Friday…
Closing the loop on something we flagged Thursday — SI confirmed Muncy and Freeland were both out of tonight’s lineup, so the collision question from the Vargas play has an answer now: he still isn’t right. Two regulars missing, shorthanded from the jump, and the Dodgers walked it off anyway. That’s the part I want to sit with for a second. Muncy out, Freeland out, Reid Detmers on the mound — and Roki goes eight scoreless and Freeman ends it. That’s depth actually paying the bill. Sasaki’s been a different pitcher since May 17 — 2.08 ERA over his last four starts. That’s a real number, and tonight was the outing that puts a spotlight on it. The bullpen barely had to touch the game. After watching the pen cough up that lead in Arizona, Roki going eight and handing it to Freeman for the walk-off — yeah, I’m cashing that receipt loudly. I’m done hedging on the depth thing. Here's Michael Elizondo at True Blue LA:
The Dodgers announced that Muncy was removed due to both shortness of breath and a possible concussion, as Muncy was visibly bleeding from his nasal bridge. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Muncy was able to both walk off the field under his own power, but Dave Roberts noted that he will miss tomorrow’s opener against the Angels as he spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA following the 3-2 walk-off defeat.
Closing the loop on Muncy — Roberts confirmed it to Kirsten Watson after Thursday’s game: he’s out Friday against the Angels, but Roberts expects him available over the weekend. Wrist, then concussion protocol, now a busted nose. The man is running into bad luck right now. Fourteen days ago it’s the wrist, now it’s a head-first collision with Vargas and he’s bleeding from the nose on the field. And tonight they still walk it off without him. I’m not saying the depth is fine — I’m saying tonight it was fine. Roberts said he had “some clarity” when he got to the clubhouse, which I’ll take as the medical update it is and not read too much into. The more interesting number is this: the Dodgers went shorthanded — Muncy and Freeland both out — and Sasaki held the Angels scoreless through eight anyway. Good teams don’t wait around for a full roster. Kirk, I’ve been hedging on whether the depth was real or just a front office talking point. Roki goes eight scoreless with two regulars missing and Freeman walks it off — you can stop hedging on my behalf. The depth showed up. Here's Jedd Pagaduan at ClutchPoints:
On Thursday night, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to shake up the lineup order in the final game of a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Typically over the past few seasons, the Dodgers have utilized Shohei Ohtani as the leadoff hitter.
Roberts explained the Betts-at-leadoff move against Arizona to ClutchPoints, and the reasoning was pretty simple: Ohtani had the day off, Betts has done it before, and Roberts trusted the track record. Clean logic. The result was 0-for-4 and a loss, but the decision itself wasn’t a gamble — it was a depth card. 0-for-4 in the leadoff spot while Ryne Nelson is mowing everybody down — I’m not blaming Mookie for that loss, but Roberts getting credit for “he’s done it before” while the guy’s in a slump is a stretch. Tonight Sasaki goes eight scoreless and Freeman walks it off without Muncy or Freeland in the lineup. That’s lineup management. Thursday was damage control dressed up as a plan. And tonight answers the actual question: with Muncy confirmed out against the Angels, Roberts still found a way to produce. The Betts leadoff experiment was a one-series adjustment, not a philosophy shift. Don’t overthink it. Here's J.P. Hoornstra at Sports Illustrated:
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported June 3 that Ryan "will continue building up his foundation in Triple A, but could be a spot start candidate later this season." In the meantime, the Dodgers will continue to give the ball to left-hander Eric Lauer, a journeyman who was cut by the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1-5 record and 6.69 ERA and traded to the Dodgers.
Sports Illustrated ran a piece last night on River Ryan — 3-0, 2.89 ERA in six Triple-A starts since coming off the IL — and the pitching coach is still calling him a “spot start candidate, later this season.” Meanwhile, Eric Lauer, who Toronto cut with a 6.69 ERA, is your number-five starter and just beat Arizona. Muncy and Freeland were both out of the lineup tonight, and they still walked it off — so I get the depth argument. But Ryan’s dominating Triple-A at 27, and we’re patiently watching a journeyman Lauer turn into a pumpkin? The pitching coach can pump the brakes all he wants — at some point “spot start candidate later this season” stops sounding like a plan and starts sounding like a dodge. To be fair, Lauer has a 2.53 ERA as a Dodger. And Jonathan Hernández — released by the Phillies in April — has allowed one run in eight innings. The scrap-heap pipeline is working. That doesn’t mean Ryan shouldn’t be up, but the brakes aren’t coming from nowhere. The scrap-heap pipeline is great until it isn’t — and with Glasnow still on no timetable, I want Ryan in my back pocket before the situation forces the issue, not after. If Dodgers Daily is part of your L.A. sports routine, try Angel City Daily Podcast — a daily ACFC supporter briefing with match reaction, NWSL standings, roster moves, women’s soccer in Los Angeles, and supporter buzz. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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