Dodgers’ Hanser Alberto pitching with the lead vs D-Backs was glorious

Within just over 48 hours, the Los Angeles Dodgers went from the cliff’s edge against the Philadelphia Phillies to gleefully putting a position player on the mound to protect a 12-2 lead against a surprisingly hot division rival.

What a difference a Gavin Lux walk-off makes.

What’s that? Oh, yes, we said protect a 12-2 lead, not “gleefully throw in the towel, making a circus out of the final frames of an embarrassing loss.” Just to be perfectly clear, LA innovated on the form in the second game of a doubleheader against the Diamondbacks, sending Hanser Alberto — the team’s best chemistry creator — to the mound in a 10-run ballgame.

His one inning wasn’t nearly as stressful as Craig Kimbrel’s ninth inning in the day’s first contest, which just has to sting for the future Hall of Fame closer. He’ll never admit as much, but it just … has to.

Please enjoy Alberto taking the mound in all his glory. If you squint and only look at the red number on his stomach, it’s almost like Joe Kelly is still out here doing mop-up work.

Dodgers’ Hanser Alberto pitching ninth vs Diamondbacks was Justin Turner’s 2022 highlight

So, just in case you’re keeping track, it was Kimbrel who balked with two outs in his ninth inning by dropping a baseball intentionally, not the 29-year-old infielder who took the mound in Game 2. Got it.

Alberto’s been instant chemistry this season, bringing his unique flair to the bench and crafting team-wide celebrations like the “pepper grinder.” However, his first game on Tuesday wasn’t one for the highlight reel, featuring a botched hard grounder that extended a rally and threw the win into question for a few minutes.

So, for a pick-me-up, Dave Roberts put him on the mound. It worked. He even got Justin Turner to smile and grind some pepper while he was busy mowing down Diamondbacks.

Even with Alberto on the mound, this game didn’t get dicey whatsoever; after a flyout by Josh Rojas, back-to-back singles by Geraldo Perdomo and Alek Thomas were erased by a force out and game-ending grounder.

One inning. One run. One exciting way to cement a win that got the first-place Dodgers back on track in the “laugher” column.

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