Dustin May Dominates Arizona A Second Time

First off, how many bad umpiring games do we have to endure?  Ramon De Jesus was just another poor excuse for a home plate umpire.

Now to the game.  Are we witnessing the unveiling of a future dominant Ace?  Dustin May pitched 7.0 scoreless innings in the 2^nd game of the year, throwing 84 pitches (56 strikes).  I know, I know it is only the DBacks.  On this night, he pitched 5.0 scoreless innings before he walked Geraldo Perdomo on 4 pitches to open the 6^th.  Perdomo scored on a Josh Rojas double to break the streak.  May proceeded to strike out Ketel Marte, got Lourdes Gurriel Jr to pop up to Freddie, and got Christian Walker to ground out 6-3.  After 6.0 IP and 83 pitches, Dustin was done.  He came out with a 5-1 lead and then turned it over to the pen.

May has been clear in that he insists that he is going to go as hard as he can for as long as can.  He seemed to tire some in the 6^th.  After the game he blamed himself for not staying ready between innings.  He called it bone headed on his part, and he will learn from it.

He still got his 2^nd quality start of the year.  That makes 6 quality starts for the first seven games this season for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers got on the board in the second.  Max Muncy walked, went to 2^nd on an infield single by James Outman.  Chris Taylor finally got a hit WRISP when he looped a single in LF to score Muncy.

The Dodgers then stretched the lead in the 3^rd when Freddie hit a 1-out double that was originally scored a single and E-9.  McCarthy slid to cut off the ball that could have saved it from a triple,  Will Smith followed with a BB, and then Max hit a DP that the pitcher overran 1B and Perdomo’s throw went off Merrill Kelly’s glove for an error, and Freeman scored.  JD Martinez laced a double into LF and Muncy was able to score from 1B.  Okay, JDM is not a good baserunner as he got thrown out at 3B for the 2^nd time in 7 games. But the Dodgers were up 3-0.

Will Smith’s hands are just so fast.  Two of his HRs came from inside pitches, one up at the top of the zone and breaking in on him.  His double off Merrill Kelly in the 6^th was off a change that was inside and dropping.  He is such a gifted hitter. James Outman then singled Will home with 2 outs and a 4-0 lead.  Smith’s line drive in the 7^th was another good example of hitting it where it was pitched.  Unfortunately the ball hung up for Jake McCarthy to make the catch.

Smith’s double was 96.7 MPH while Outman’s 2 out single was 107.2 MPH.

In the top of the 7^th, Freddie hit his first HR of the season.  It was an oppo shot that we are used to seeing from Freddie.

Alex Vesia entered in the 7^th with a 5-1 lead and try to make up for his last outing against the DBacks.  It is fun to watch Corbin Carroll run.  On a ball hit to Freddie in the 7^th, there was no way that Alex Vesia was going to beat Carroll to first.  It was a good thing that the ball was hit hard so that Freddie could beat him to the bag.  Vesia is still having all sorts of problems this year.  After the Carroll shot (out), Jake McCarthy triples into the RF corner, and Gabriel Moreno doubles over the head of Outman in CF.

Yency Almonte came in to relieve Vesia and got a 5-3 ground out, walked Perdomo after going 1-2, and then an F-8 to end the threat.

Phil Bickford relieved Almonte in the 8th.  We learned after the game, that Doc did not want to use Bickford, but Brusdar Graterol had his back stiffen, and like he is always willing to do, Bickford took the ball, even on a night he was not supposed to.  He gave up a booming double to Ketel Marte to open the inning.  He got Gurriel to chase, but not before yanking a WP and moving Marte to third.   He then got Christian Walker on a swinging strike up in the zone on the inside part of the plate.  Finally he got Carroll to pop up to Smith, who almost hit Muncy with his mask.  Bickford was heating it up with multiple 97 MPH fastballs.  That is as hard as he has thrown in his career.

The Dodgers left the bases loaded with one out in the top of the 9^th. It was a scary moment when Carlos Vargas hit Mookie in the head with a 97.6 fastball, that the umpire called a foul ball.   The Dodgers ended up 2-9 WRISP.

Evan Phillips entered the 9^th in a save situation, and did just that with two fly outs to David Peralta in LF, and then got Kyle Lewis looking to end the game.

Dustin May was just nasty on this night.  To throw as hard as he does and have the ball move as much as it does…I am just glad that he is on the Dodgers.

James Outman continues to shine.  He went 2-3 with a BB, and is now batting .353/.522/.765/1.287.  Yes it is a small sample size, but he continues to look confident every time he comes to the plate.  .522 OBP is very impressive.  And it would be very special for a rookie if it were not for Miguel Vargas and his .722 OBP.  The Dodgers have 8 batters with >.300 OBP.  They have 6 batters with >1.000 OPS.   Yes, Yes, Yes.  It is a small sample size and against Arizona and Colorado.

The Dodgers are 5-2.  Starters are 5-0, while the relievers are 0-2.

Clayton Kershaw faces Madison Bumgarner on Friday night in the 2^nd game of the series.