PHILADELPHIA — Since the Dodgers acquired Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays’ discard pile, the veteran left-hander has had one key asset – timing.
Lauer pitched on the right day again Wednesday night, holding the Philadelphia Phillies to four hits in 5⅓ innings and cheering on the Dodgers’ offense as it powered a 9-5 win and a series victory at Citizens Bank Park.
The game was Lauer’s eighth appearance for the Dodgers (seven starts and one hitless six-inning outing following an ‘opener’). They have won all eight.
“He’s told me,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Lauer’s perfect record. “He’s told me that when he starts, we win.”
Lauer said he wasn’t bragging when he said that – he was probably just trying to avoid being used behind an opener, something that he made clear in Toronto that he didn’t care for (to some public backlash).
“That was when we were discussing the opener that we used the one time (in Minnesota last month), and I just mentioned to him (Roberts) I was like, ‘Listen, we’re 4-0 when I start the game,’” Lauer said. “But it was more of a joke than anything.”
The run support Lauer has received is no joke. The Dodgers have scored 65 runs in the eight games he has pitched (8.1 runs per game).
One of baseball’s deep mysteries is how there always seems to be a pitcher in each rotation who doesn’t get enough run support – and another who gets more than he needs. The past two seasons, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been that first pitcher for the Dodgers. This year, Lauer has been his polar opposite.
“Guys know (Yamamoto) isn’t going to give up many runs, so they only have to score one or two for him,” Lauer said, offering a self-deprecating explanation. “With me, they figure, ‘Come on, we’ve got to get going.’”
Roberts has seen the dynamic play out over the years.
“There’s something to it,” he said. “It’s hard to kind of understand it. It changes every year. But I do think that he’s a guy that just makes everybody relaxed. We somehow show out offensively when he’s pitching.
“I don’t know the science behind it.”
The science of meteorology said conditions were ripe for a replay of last week’s Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night.
The wind was blowing out toward right field at 12 mph, stiffening the flags flying in the outfield and exciting the lefty sluggers who power both the Dodgers’ and Philadelphia Phillies’ lineups.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola came into the game fourth in the majors with 23 home runs allowed and Lauer wasn’t far behind with 18 allowed in almost 30 fewer innings.
Nola and Lauer lived up to their longball brands,
Lauer gave up a two-run home run to Alec Bohm in the first inning and a solo home run to Bryan De La Cruz in the fifth. But he kept the ball on the ground effectively enough and struck out five, giving up just two other hits while pitching into the sixth inning.
“He’s a pro. Since he’s been with us he’s been fantastic,” Roberts said.
The Phillies might have done more damage against Lauer, but their poor fundamentals (a callback to Tuesday’s game-ending double play) got him off the hook in the fifth inning.
Bryson Stott followed De La Cruz’s home run with a double. Rafael Marchan popped up a bunt attempt for one out, then Stott ran into an out when he charged from second base to third on Trea Turner’s ground ball to third baseman Max Muncy. Muncy tagged him out, taking a runner out of scoring position for the Phillies. Lauer got Kyle Schwarber to pop out to end the inning.
Dalton Rushing did all the work for the Dodgers early. He took Nola deep for a solo home run in the third inning then drove in two runs with a double in the fifth inning. The three-RBI night snapped an 0-for-19 stretch for Rushing including four strikeouts in Monday’s game.
“For him to come out after a four-strikeout game and take a day to reset, come back and take good at-bats, I just saw the downshift. I saw a controlled at-bat,” Roberts said. “Even with the homer, he fell behind 0-2, 1-2 and got to a 3-2 count, fouled a ball off then hit a homer. There was a breaking ball after a mound visit that he hits a double on. He made a quick adjustment and that was good to see.”
De La Cruz’s home run tied the score at 3-3 after five innings, but the Dodgers untied it quickly.
Freddie Freeman led off the sixth with a double (one of his three hits in the game) and Muncy hit a first-pitch changeup from Nola 415 feet to straightaway center field for his third two-run home run in the first six games of this trip.
“I was just trying to get a job done,” Muncy said. “Freddie’s on second, less than two [outs], so my whole goal is to get something up to get it to the right side. Nola is a guy that I’ve really struggled with in the past. That curveball has always given me a lot of fits.
“He went with the changeup, and because I was leaning, looking out over, I was able to recognize it, stay on it, and get a good swing on it.”
The home run was also the 229th of Muncy’s career with the Dodgers, passing Ron Cey for second most by a Los Angeles Dodger (trailing only Eric Karros’ 270).
The Dodgers scored four more in the eighth inning. Phillies relievers walked the bases loaded and Tommy Edman drove them all in with a triple. Kyle Tucker had a sacrifice fly.
That was enough even when the Dodgers’ bullpen gave up two late runs before closing the game out.