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Tony Gonsolin flirts with perfection and the Dodgers provide buzz with their bats
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Put this guy in pictures. Kansas City Royals reliever Josh Staumont entered a pristine game in the seventh inning and the Dodgers promptly lit him up with four hits and a walk en route to an 8-3 victory Friday night.
Staumont retired no one and all five runners scored, saddling him with an ERA that was pure Buzz Lightyear: To Infinity and Beyond!
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin reached for the stars himself, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh. He retired the first batter in the seventh but surrendered two hits and a run before being removed after issuing his third walk in two innings.
Salvador Perez home run cuts into the Dodgers’ lead
Kansas City’s Salvador Perez hit a two-run home run off Dodgers reliever Reyes Moronta to make it 8-3 Dodgers in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Moronta issued a one-out walk to MJ Melendez before Perez hit his 17th home run of the season to left-center field. Moronta then struck out Nick Pratto to send the game into the ninth.
End of the eighth: Dodgers 8, Royals 3
Trayce Thompson’s three-run home run gives Dodgers 8-1 lead
Trayce Thompson cracked a three-run home run to the fountain in straightaway center field off Royals reliever Joel Payamps to give the Dodgers an 8-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Thompson’s fifth home run of the season, drove in Max Muncy and Gavin Lux, who drew walks to lead off the inning.
After going scoreless through the first six innings, the floodgates have opened for the Dodgers, who are seeking their 11th consecutive win.
Tony Gonsolin’s bid for a no-hitter ends in the seventh
Tony Gonsolin’s bid for a no-hitter ended after 6 1/3 innings when Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino singled to right field.
Two batters later, the shutout bid ended when Michael Taylor doubled off the wall in center field to score Pasquantino, making it 5-1 Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh.
Gonsolin then walked Michael Massey, bringing his night to a close. Gonsolin allowed one earned run, two hits and struck out three over 6 2/3 innings in the hunt for his 14th win of the season. David Price took over in relief.
End of the seventh: Dodgers 5, Royals 1
Dodgers take a 5-0 lead over the Royals in the seventh
Trea Turner hit a two-run single and Freddie Freeman hit an RBI double off Royals reliever Josh Staumont as part of a five-run seventh inning for the Dodgers.
Turner plated Gavin Lux and Trayce Thompson on a scorcher to left before Freeman scored Mookie Betts on a sharp double to left. Luke Weaver then replaced Staumont on the mound. A wild pitch by Weaver drove in Turner from third before Justin Turner brought in Freeman on a sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers are 54-10 this season when scoring first.
Mid seventh: Dodgers 5, Royals 0
Tony Gonsolin’s perfect game ends in the sixth
Tony Gonsolin issued a one-out walk to Kansas City’s Kyle Isbel to lose a perfect game after 5 1/3 innings. Gonsolin then walked MJ Melendez. With two runners on base, the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. popped out to second to cap the inning.
While Gonsolin managed to eventually defuse the situation, he looked vulnerable for the first time. Still, he’s looked sharp through six no-hit innings. He’d probably feel a bit more comfortable to chasing the no-hitter if the Dodgers provided him some run support.
End of 6th: Dodgers 0, Royals 0
Tony Gonsolin perfect through five innings
It’s another 1-2-3 inning for Tony Gonsolin.
The Dodgers starter has retired the 15 batters he has faced in order, sending down Vinnie Pasquantino, Nick Pratto and Michael Taylor in the fifth. He has only thrown 45 pitches so far.
Three groundouts, nine fly outs and three strikeouts have helped Gonsolin stay perfect heading into the sixth inning of a scoreless game.
End of the fifth: Dodgers 0, Royals 0
Dodgers fail to capitalize on prime scoring chance
It’s pretty rare these days to see the Dodgers fail to score a run with the bases loaded with no outs and a batter facing an 0-3 count.
But that’s the jam Royals starter Daniel Lynch managed to somehow escaped in the fifth inning to maintain a scoreless game.
Hanser Alberto reached base on an error by Lynch, Mookie Betts walked and Trayce Thompson doubled to load the bases for Trea Turner.
Lynch then got Turner to pop out in foul territory near first base before striking out Freddie Freeman and forcing Will Smith to line out to center.
Mid fifth inning: Dodgers 0, Royals 0
Tony Gonsolin is perfect through four innings for the Dodgers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tony Gonsolin is displaying the form that made him an All-Star, retiring the first 12 Royals batters in a row on only 34 pitches.
Gonsolin’s split-finger fastball has been devastating and his fastball command — which manager Dave Roberts said was key to his effectiveness — excellent.
He’s struck out only two but the only hard-hit ball was a lineout to left field by Nicky Lopez to end the third inning.
Meanwhile, Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch has also been excellent, holding the Dodgers to one hit through four scoreless innings. His pitch count, however, was elevated because three times he issued two-out walks.
End of the fourth: Dodgers 0, Royals 0
Dodgers to tour Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Saturday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Dodgers will tour the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Saturday morning, then will take part in a Salute to the Negro Leagues event at ahead of the game at Kauffman Stadium.
Buck O’Neil’s Hall of Fame plaque will be on public display during the game. O’Neil, a Kansas Citian most of his life, played in the Negro Leagues from 1937-1948 and became the first Black coach in the National or American leagues in 1962.
The Dodgers plan to wear throwback Brooklyn jerseys and caps.
Tony Gonsolin off to a strong start against the Royals
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin has looked sharp through two innings, retiring the Royals in order on 17 pitches.
Royals starter Daniel Lynch also hasn’t allowed a hit so far, but he has walked a couple of batters as the Dodgers look for their 11th consecutive victory.
End of the second: Dodgers 0, Royals 0
Clayton Kershaw’s epidural kicks in and he’s buoyant after throwing without back pain
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clayton Kershaw was nearly giddy with delight after throwing several hours ahead of Friday’s game. His back didn’t hurt and he said he expects to continue to throw every day and pitch from a bullpen mound within a week.
The epidural steroid injection he received Aug. 6 relieved the pain he felt when he removed himself from a game against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 4.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, and after getting the epidural it’s been feeling better the past three to five days,” Kershaw said. “It’s bouncing back pretty well.”
The Dodgers enjoy at 16-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West, enabling Kershaw and other Dodgers pitchers recovering from injuries – Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Blake Treinen in particular – to be methodical in their recoveries.
Nobody is being rushed back too soon.
“It’s certainly a luxury,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t think we would do it much different because players’ health is paramount. But, yeah, when you are able to be extra cautious, it’s a plus.”
Kershaw, for one, has his sights set on the postseason.
“I know what I have to do to be ready for October and I definitely feel we have enough time to accomplish all that, which is great,” he said.
Roberts enjoyed seeing Kershaw so buoyant.
“Watching him move around, and the conversations, Clayton is an easy book to read in some senses,” he said. “He is talkative and jovial, and I think that’s a good thing.”
Short hops: The Dodgers placed catcher Austin Barnes on the Family Emergency List, meaning he will be inactive for a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven. Tony Wolters was called up from triple A. Wolters, 30, has six years of major league experience and was the Colorado Rockies’ starting catcher in 2019. . . . The contusion on Max Muncy’s right hand that caused him to leave Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins has healed sufficiently. He served as designated hitter Friday and Roberts said Muncy I scheduled to play third base Saturday.
Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. suspended 80 games by MLB
Fernando Tatis Jr. will not play for the Padres this season.
The 23-year-old shortstop was suspended Friday for 80 games by Major League Baseball for violation of the league’s performance enhancing drug policy.
Tatis, who has not played in 2022 after an offseason motorcycle accident, will now miss the rest of this season and the first 32 games of next season. He is ineligible for the postseason as well.
Trevor Bauer sexual assault accuser files countersuit to his defamation claim
A San Diego woman who alleges Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer sexually abused her has filed a countersuit to his defamation claim, alleging the baseball star beat her and left her bruised, according to a court filing.
Bauer has denied abusing the woman he met through social media. He sued her for defamation in April, claiming she lied about details involving their sexual encounters in order to destroy his reputation and career while enriching herself.
Major League Baseball has suspended Bauer for two years, a ruling made after Bauer sued the woman. Bauer has said he engaged in consensual rough sex with the woman but did nothing to warrant a suspension.
Joey Gallo finds a change in scenery is good for both him and Dodgers
Fans at Dodger Stadium were chanting Joey Gallo’s name Wednesday night and they weren’t putting an expletive before or after it.
That was a pleasant change from his two seasons in New York, where the two-time All-Star was so unproductive and was jeered so frequently that he holed up in his Manhattan apartment to avoid showing his face on the street and hearing about his shortcomings in no uncertain terms.
Gallo’s teammates also chanted his name on Wednesday, and for many happy reasons. They were delighted not only with the pinch-hit, three-run home run that gave them a lead even Craig Kimbrel couldn’t squander, but also with the sight of Gallo shaking off his anxiety as he circled the bases in the seventh inning of what became their 10th consecutive victory, an 8-5 win over the Minnesota Twins.
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: