by Cary Osborne
Exclamation points are typically ill-advised for a resume. But hours before the announcements of All-Star reserves on Sunday, Max Muncy punctuated his first-half document with a final emphatic mark.
Muncy drove in three runs, including two on a ninth-inning double. Dodger relievers, as has been the norm this season in these situations, were superb in a bullpen game. The combination helped lead the Dodgers to a 5–1 victory, completing a four-game sweep in Washington D.C. over the Nationals.
The Dodgers have now won nine straight games.
As for Muncy, he delivered late off the Washington bullpen — first with an RBI double off Brad Hand in the seventh to give the Dodgers a 3–1 lead at the time, and then with his ninth-inning two-bagger.
Prior to the game, manager Dave Roberts, who will also skipper the National League All-Star team, said if Muncy makes the squad he will start at designated hitter.
“That’d be really, really exciting news, and I hope that happens obviously. But that’s kind of out of my hands at this point,” Muncy said. “I feel like I’ve done all I can to get my name out there and show the kind of player I am.”
Muncy’s double in the seventh immediately followed a clutch, pinch-hit RBI single by Albert Pujols that unlocked a 1–1 tie.
It was Pujols’ second game-changing pinch-hit single in the series. His infield single in the seventh inning on Friday cut the Nationals’ lead to 3–2 at the time and led to a nine-run inning. The Dodgers won that game 10–5.
“I don’t know if there’s enough words to describe how much of an impact he’s had for us,” Muncy said. “Then on top of that you look at what he’s been able to do at the plate. He can still hit. He’s unbelievable. He’s still got so much juice left in that bat.”
The Dodgers’ other Sunday run came on a solo home run by Matt Beaty off Nationals starter Joe Ross in the fourth inning. It tied the score at 1–1 and answered Washington’s lone run in the game, which arrived via a Starlin Castro RBI-single in the bottom of the third inning off reliever Victor González.
The Dodgers used eight pitchers in the game, beginning with opener Garrett Cleavinger, who tossed a scoreless first inning.
The Dodgers are 5–2 this year when using an opener and haven’t surrendered more than three runs in any of the games. After the opener has left in the seven games, the Dodger bullpen’s ERA is 1.55.
“I think they’re great at it because there’s an unselfishness with the group of guys and they’re talented, and they don’t care when they pitch,” said manager Dave Roberts of the Dodger relievers’ success in bullpen games. “They just want to pitch in and help the next guy.”
Of the eight pitchers used on Sunday, six put up at least one scoreless inning.
And these seven, who all pitched on Sunday, have been rolling of late:
· Jimmy Nelson: Last 15 games: 16 2/3 innings, 0 earned runs
· Kenley Jansen: Last 13: 12 1/3 IP, 0 ER
· Joe Kelly: Last 10: 10 IP, 0 ER
· Blake Treinen: Last 10: 10 2/3 IP, 2 ER
· David Price: Last 10: 9 1/3 IP, 2 ER
· Garrett Cleavinger: Last 9: 9 IP, 0 ER
· Phil Bickford: Last 9: 11 1/3, 1 ER
Notes:
Three Dodgers were hit by a pitch in the game — Austin Barnes in the helmet, Justin Turner in the left shoulder and AJ Pollock in the left triceps.
Turner, pinch-hitting with two on and no out in the ninth inning, was hit by a pitch up high by Wander Suero’s 91-mph cutter. Turner’s shoulder prevented the ball from hitting his face. After the game, Roberts said Turner was OK.
Barnes was hit in the fourth inning, but played the entire game.
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