Dodgers Way Quick Hits: Utley, Buehler, Hill, Bullpen

The Dodgers won 3-2 for the second consecutive night as they defeated the Angels after beating the Padres 3-2 on Thursday night.  The win knotted the freeway series at two games apiece.

The Dodgers won another nail-biter by a 3-2 score last night.  There was plenty of drama in the ninth inning which is becoming a common theme for the freeway series.  The Angels had runners on first and third down by one run in the ninth inning, but Scott Alexander induced the game-ending double play that he needed.  Cody Bellinger was pulled off the base but made an athletic tag to save a wide throw by Logan Forsythe to seal the game.

Max Muncy was responsible for all three Dodger runs as he knocked in two runs and hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the 2018 season.  Surprisingly, Logan Forsythe started the Dodgers two-run rally in the seventh inning as he lead off the inning with a hard single up the middle.  Walker Buehler made his return from the disabled list but did not factor in the decision.

Other news…

Walker Buehler had a solid return from his disabled list stint as he threw five innings and allowed two runs, both coming on solo home runs by Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun.  Buehler’s velocity was very good as he threw as high as 97-98 miles per hour and he was able to record five strikeouts in five innings.  Buehler will make his next start after the disabled list.

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The big news yesterday was that Chase Utley held a press conference to announce that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2018 season.  Utley spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies but the impact he has had on the Dodgers locker room during his tenure in LA has been extraordinary.  Nearly the entire team went to Utley’s press conference which shows just how highly they think of Chase.

The Dodgers rotation for this weekend was jumbled a bit on Friday.  Originally, Clayton Kershaw was slated to start on Saturday with Rich Hill finishing off the first half of the season on Sunday.  Alex Wood has now been penciled in to start today’s game and Rich Hill is going to be available out of the bullpen for the final two games of the first half.  This could potentially be an audition for Hill as the starting rotation is running out of open stops.

Next: Max Muncy's chances of winning the 2018 home run derby

• The Dodger bullpen did a great job of holding down the fort last night as they were without the services of new setup man Dylan Floro and All-Star closer, Kenley Jansen.  Caleb Ferguson, Erik Goeddel, and Scott Alexander combined to pitch four innings allowing just two hits and no runs.  Alexander’s save was a bit shaky but in the end, he was able to finish off the game.