Tony Gonsolin, Mookie Betts propel Dodgers past Cubs
July 8, 2022 10:42 AM — Posted by anaheimsigns — Posted at irvine sign company-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, right, hits a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Betts added a second home run later in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux, left, gets set to tag out Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ as Happ tries to steal second during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. throws to the plate during the first inning of a game against the Dodgers on Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, right, hits a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Betts added a second home run later in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates as he rounds third after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates as he circles the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux, second from left, hits a two-run home run off of Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mark Leiter Jr., left, during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux watches the flight of his two-run home run during the second inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner, right, heads to first as he hits a solo home run as Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. watches during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner, left, is congratulated by third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Chicago Cubs’ Christopher Morel, right, hits a two-run home run as Dodgers catcher Will Smith watches during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Chicago Cubs’ Christopher Morel, right, celebrates as he scores after hitting a two-run home run as Dodgers catcher Will Smith stands at the plate during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Cubs’ Christopher Morel, right, celebrates with Alfonso Rivas after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is hit by a pitch during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, right, flies out as Dodgers catcher Will Smith watches during the seventh inning of a game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin claps as the Chicago Cubs’ Alfonso Rivas grounds out to end the top of the seventh inning of on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Gonsolin held the Cubs to two runs in his seven innings and improved to 11-0 this season. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Hughes throws to the plate during the seventh inning of their game against the Dodgers on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, right, heads to first as he hits a solo home run as Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Rucker watches during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates as he rounds third after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, right, celebrates as he scores after hitting a solo home run as Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes kneels at the plate during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, right, hits an RBI double as Dodgers catcher Will Smith watches during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel walks off the field after being taken out of the game during the ninth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux falls into the netting while trying to get to a foul ball hit by the Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia, right, celebrates after striking out the Chicago Cubs’ Nelson Velazquez, second from left, to end the baseball game as catcher Will Smith, left, and home plate umpire Jose Navas watch Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia celebrates after the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs, 5-3, in a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia, left, celebrates with catcher Will Smith after the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs, 5-3, in a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES ― As the All-Star Game has drawn closer, each start by Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin has raised the likelihood that he will appear in the game, and possibly start for the National League on July 19 at Dodger Stadium.
Gonsolin leads all of Major League Baseball in ERA (1.62) and won-loss record (11-0) after throwing seven strong innings in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night.
Two weeks from now, the All-Star Game will be a part of history. Gonsolin will still be expected to take the ball every fifth or sixth day for the Dodgers. Comparisons between him and the National League’s other best pitchers will be moot. Yet beyond who should start one exhibition game, Gonsolin’s performance in the first half of the season raises a bigger question: is he just this good now?
“I’ve been past that point,” Roberts said. “We’ve just got to make sure we manage him the right way. But as far as performance, expectation, yeah, he’s passed all the tests for me as far as consistency every fifth day.”
Before this month, Gonsolin had not thrown seven innings or more in a single outing this season. In two July starts, against the Padres and Cubs, he’s done it twice. He did not issue a walk in either game, preferring to pound the strike zone and challenge opponents to put the ball in play.
Gonsolin lamented his inability to pitch in favorable counts Thursday, getting only one swing and miss on 20 sliders. Yet Chicago could only scratch across four hits against him. They touched him for two runs in the fifth inning, when Alfonso Rivas singled and Christopher Morel cleared the left-field fence with a two-run home run. It was the eighth home run Gonsolin has allowed in 16 starts.
The Dodgers’ offense rested on the home run too. They hit four.
Mookie Betts led the way with two solo home runs: one in the top of the first inning against Cubs starter Mark Leiter Jr. (2-3) and another in the eighth inning against Michael Rucker. A finalist to start the All-Star Game himself – the fans’ choice for the starting position players in both leagues will be revealed on Friday – Betts has 20 home runs this season, tied for fifth in the National League.
Gavin Lux and Justin Turner also homered for the Dodgers (53-29), who have won four straight and eight of their past nine. Lux’s home run, a two-run moonshot into the Cubs’ bullpen, followed a double by Trayce Thompson.
Turner had only four home runs to show for his first 69 games of the season. In eight games dating to June 30, he’s hit four more.
Brusdar Graterol relieved Gonsolin in the eighth inning but was removed with right side soreness after throwing only four pitches. Phil Bickford completed the inning.
“A cramp could be an oblique (injury) so I just felt at that time we’d take him out of the game, evaluate him, which we did, and then (Friday) we’ll see how he comes in and potentially do some testing on him,” Roberts said.
The manager did not rule out placing Graterol on the 15-day injured list depending on the test results.
In the ninth inning, Craig Kimbrel allowed a single to Ian Happ and an RBI double by Seiya Suzuki that fell beneath a sliding Betts in right field. After recording two outs on 31 pitches, Kimbrel walked Patrick Wisdom to end a nine-pitch at-bat.
That prompted Roberts to summon left-hander Alex Vesia from the bullpen. Vesia struck out pinch hitter Nelson Velasquez to end the game, earning his first save of the season.
“It was the second night for (Kimbrel) in a row,” Roberts said. “The amount of pitches he’s thrown, the stress, having a fresh Vesia available – I just didn’t want to push him any further.”
Gonsolin’s demeanor has not wavered since his 2019 debut. Whether he is starting or relieving, an All-Star or a postseason taxi squad-er, he exudes all the personality of a cat draped across a sun-dappled window sill.
Asked Thursday about being a first-time All-Star – possibly a starter – Gonsolin all but yawned.
“I’m just trying to go out there and help our team win today,” he said, “every time I get the ball.”
“He’s not going to go out there and talk about it much, which I think is smart,” Roberts said, “but all players are motivated by certain things. To be selected as an All-Star the first time or any time is a big feather in your cap. Absolutely he’s motivated by that.”
Betts agreed.
“I would assume (it means) a lot,” Betts said. “Being an All-Star in general, I’m pretty sure it’s special to (Gonsolin). He’s just a super even-keel guy. Just enjoys moments as they come, then he kind of turns the page.”
Mookie Mash. pic.twitter.com/uLkD7hW3wi
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2022
Gavin absolutely crushed this. pic.twitter.com/4gQ0GwCEPG
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 8, 2022
2nd on the night. 20th on the year.@mookiebetts is having himself a year. pic.twitter.com/euv0uS00mB
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2022
“It just feels good to go out there and give our team a chance to win the ballgame.” @goooose15 reflects on his outing in tonight’s opener. (7 IP, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) pic.twitter.com/PmfzDuiPmV
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 8, 2022
8-1 in their last 9.
The @Dodgers are FIRED UP. pic.twitter.com/GjjHy2El7h
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2022
from Signage https://ift.tt/sHmiUuY
via Irvine Sign Company
