*Photo from AP News*
Yeah, they lost their best pitcher, but they just got a really good one back, too. Will Smith homered, Justin Turner added a homer of his own, and the Los Angeles Dodgers cruised past the Miami Marlins with a 7-0 shutout win on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
Less than a week after it was announced that Walker Buehler would undergo season ending surgery, the Dodgers got the return of one of their electrifying young pitchers, Dustin May. After being sidelined since May of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, May made his return 15 months later and looked like the same pitcher.
May said of returning after Buehler's injury that "We have a lot of great guys on this team and a lot of guys who can pick each other up, so I'm just going to go out and do my thing and not put extra pressure on myself. I've felt like myself for the last few outings and going into this one it was the same."
The return of May also helped the Dodgers continue their recent run of dominance. With the win, they picked up their second straight victory and have now won 7 of their last 10 games, their record jumping to 86-36 so far this season as a result.
Once the game started, the Dodgers got going immediately. With Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner on base, Smith got it going, blasting a 3 run home run to left field, putting the Dodgers ahead 3-0 early in this one.
After a scoreless second inning, the Dodgers kept rolling in the 3rd. Freeman started it with an RBI single, scoring Mookie Betts to make it a 4-0 score. The lead then became 7-0 when Justin Turner whacked a 3 run home run of his own, this one going to left field as well, sealing the win early for the Dodgers.
On the pitching side, May had a strong return to the big leagues. May allowed one hit and two walks, notching 9 strikeouts in 5 shutout innings. Caleb Ferguson came on for the 6th inning, Chris Martin followed in the 7th inning, and Phil Bickford pitched the final two innings to seal the win.
Getting the start for the Marlins was Bryan Hoeing, who made his MLB debut. He had a tough start, being tagged for 7 runs on 8 hits and one walk, lasting just 3 innings. Tommy Nance pitched two innings, followed by one from Andrew Nardi, one from Cole Sulser, and one from Tanner Scott.
Asked about making his big league debut, Hoeing said that "I've been playing baseball my whole life, and to get that call, and to have somebody tell me, 'You might potentially be starting today,' and all the emotions running through me. But it was good emotions. It's something I've worked for my whole life, and to get out here in front of this atmosphere at Dodger Stadium on a Saturday night, it's something that you dream of as a kid, and I was just happy to have the opportunity."
Up next, the Dodgers and Marlins conclude their series on Sunday afternoon. Ryan Pepiot takes the mound to start for the Dodgers, while ace Sandy Alcantara goes for the Marlins.
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