NL West Notes: Gonsolin, Belt, Bryant Dodgers shut out rival Giants to pick up their 99th win of the season

NL West Notes: Gonsolin, Belt, Bryant Dodgers shut out rival Giants to pick up their 99th win of the season

Dodgers hurler Tony Gonsolin is continuing to work his way back from a right forearm strain, having been placed on the 15-day injured list on August 29. Gonsolin’s recovery hasn’t moved as fast as the group had at first trusted, yet Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times transfers that he’s answered well to a warm-up area meeting recently. Gonsolin’s role with the Dodgers upon his return is not set in stone, with Gonsolin revealing that he and manager Dave Roberts have discussed “different routes” for his role when he returns.

In his first full season starting, Gonsolin has been nothing short of remarkable, pitching to a 2.49 ERA, 23.7 K%, 7.2 BB% in 128 1/3 innings (23 starts). These great numbers moved him to his most memorable Elite player game, yet he has proactively outperformed his past max innings pitched, 128, set in 2018. Additionally, after dealing with a forearm strain, it makes sense why the Dodgers may be hesitant in pushing their young, controllable starter before their upcoming playoff run.

Elsewhere around the division…

• Giants stalwart Brandon Belt is entering free agency coming off his third surgery on his right knee, but he told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic this week that his knee “feels great” roughly two weeks after surgery. Belt says that he feels “like a pristine individual,” while adding that he realizes there is “significantly more left in me” and making sense of he has proactively shed his support. Belt also added that he has roughly four weeks of rehab before he will be back to normal – plenty of time for a normal offseason preparation. Belt expressed interest in returning to San Francisco but indicated he’d be willing to play elsewhere if the team were “ready to move on.” The 34-year-old didn’t completely preclude resigning, expressing that “it should be the right circumstance for me to continue onward” and that it doesn’t check out to “go play in vain” while expressing he wouldn’t acknowledge a small-time agreement. Although Belt put forth a disappointing 2022 season, slashing .213/.326/.350 for a .676 OPS, he is less than a year removed from posting back-to-back .900+ OPS seasons and is a career .261/.356/.458 hitter.
• The Rockies have still yet to officially shut down the third baseman Kris Bryant for the season. However, there’s still no timetable for Bryant’s return to the field. In a chat with reporters (including The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney) this afternoon, Bryant stated that the Rockies want him “to feel really good going into the offseason” and that he wants an “offseason that’s as close to normal as possible.”With those feelings, it shows up reasonable that the 30-year-old won’t take the field again this season with the Rockies bound to miss the end of the season games for the fourth season in succession. Overall, Bryant is in the first year of a seven-year, $182MM contract, but has only appeared in 42 games with the Rockies while being placed on the injured list three times for a strained lower back and plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Nevertheless, when healthy he performed at a high standard, slashing .306/.376/.475 for a .851 OPS, albeit in a hitter-friendly environment.

Dustin May throws five hitless innings in his fifth game back from Tommy John surgery in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park on Friday night.

Final: Dodgers beat Giants 5-0 behind Dustin May’s hitless start

 

SAN FRANCISCO — Behind five scoreless, hitless innings from Dustin May and another offensive outburst against Logan Webb, the Dodgers defeated the Giants 5-0 on Friday to take the first of a three-game series.

May was pulled after throwing just 69 pitches but flashed a lot of encouraging signs nonetheless, walking just one batter while striking out four and showing much more improvement with his command.

The Dodgers got RBIs from Joey Gallo, Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman, once again knocking around Webb in the process.

The Dodgers are now 99-44.

Final: Dodgers 5, Giants 0

Dustin May was replaced to begin the sixth, then the no-hit bid ends on an infield single

 

Dustin May didn’t get to pitch the sixth inning, after all.

And not long after his night came to an end, so did the Dodgers’ combined no-hit bid.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Luis González got the Giant’s first hit, flying down the line on a slow roller to second base for an infield single against Alex Vesia.

Vesta was on the mound because Dave Roberts decided to not let Dustin May go any further after the right-hander threw 69 pitches through five innings. Roberts had said pregame May would be limited to 75-80.

May’s final line: 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts.

His ERA is now 3.46.

End 6th: Dodgers lead 4-0

Dustin May has a no-hitter through five innings

 

Dustin May probably won’t make it to the end of this game, with Dave Roberts saying pregame that the right-hander will be limited to 75-80 pitches in just his fifth game back from Tommy John surgery.

But so far, he’s yet to give up a hit, having allowed only a lone walk through five innings that were immediately erased by a double-play.

May has thrown 69 pitches, and will likely return to the mound to start the sixth.

His command has been much better tonight, his velocity has ticked up with several pitches over 100 mph, and he has struck out four batters.

End 5th: Dodgers lead 4-0

Dodgers extend the lead with three runs in the fourth off Logan Webb

Logan Webb’s struggles against the Dodgers have continued tonight.

In the fourth inning, the Giants right-hander gave up three RBI singles — to Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger, and Trea Turner — to turn a one-run deficit into four.

After giving up just one run in six innings in his first start against the Dodgers this year, Webb has yielded 13 runs in 15 innings over his past three outings against them.

Mid-4th: Dodgers lead 4-0

Dodgers strike first; Dustin May is off to a sharp start

 

Dustin May has gotten off to a strong start, retiring the side in order in the first (with the help of a diving catch by Joey Gallo for the third out) before erasing a one-out walk in the second inning with a double-play.

He’s gotten some early run support, too, after Max Muncy hit a leadoff double in the second and came around to score after a couple of ground balls to the right side from Justin Turner and Gallo.

The Giants tried to throw Muncy at home on the latter play, but he slid in safely as the throw kicked away from catcher Joey Bart.

End 2nd: Dodgers lead 1-0

Dustin May takes the mound, looking for better command in continued return from Tommy John surgery

SAN FRANCISCO — Dustin May’s first four starts back from Tommy John surgery haven’t been bad. But the right-hander with the triple-digit fastball hasn’t looked consistently sharp either, occasionally struggling with his command while posting a 4.29 ERA.

Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers will be looking for more improvement from May tonight, as he takes the mound to open the team’s three-game series against the San Francisco Giants.

“We’re just looking for more command,” Roberts said. “A guy that’s coming off Tommy John, the last thing to come is the feel, the command.”

At the plate, the Dodgers will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (13-8, 2.88 ERA). While Webb was excellent against the Dodgers in last year’s NLDS, he has struggled in three starts against them this season, giving up nine earned runs in 17 innings.

The Dodgers remain without second baseman Gavin Lux, who hasn’t played since Sept. 1 because of a neck injury, but Roberts said Lux will be back in the lineup Saturday after he stayed back in Arizona on Thursday to take a full game’s worth of at-bats at Camelback Ranch.

Here is the Dodger’s full lineup:

How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season

Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: