Dodgers get solid debut from Lance Lynn in easy victory over A’s
LOS ANGELES — In the history of trade-deadline deals, it’s likely no pitcher has ever been afforded a softer landing with his new team than Lance Lynn had on Tuesday night.
Facing the stripped-down, ready-to-move Oakland A’s (on pace for 117 losses this season), Lynn gave the Dodgers their longest start in nearly six weeks and the Dodgers cruised to a 7-3 victory.
“It’s what we needed,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who hadn’t sent a starting pitcher out for the seventh inning since June 20. “Seeing him on the mound, it’s what you’d expect. It’s what we saw from the other side. He was a pro, efficient, attacking the zone, made pitches when he needed to.
“It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a starter get through seven. … It’s just what we needed.”
The arrival of the now 30-78 A’s is a good prescription for a successful finish to a homestand that has started with two series losses (to the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds) and a stretch of five losses in seven games overall before Tuesday.
If the Dodgers’ failure to land a bigger prize at Tuesday’s deadline disappointed many, at least Lynn did not in his debut for the team.
The burly right-hander held the A’s scoreless through the first five innings, working around one-out doubles in the third and fourth innings, and gave them the kind of lengthy outing they have rarely seen from a starting pitcher this season. Lynn was the first Dodgers starter to even pitch into the seventh inning since Clayton Kershaw threw seven scoreless innings against the Angels on June 20. It was the 10th time in 105 games that a Dodger pitcher completed seven innings.
“Bulldog. Competitor. Wants the ball. Doesn’t want to come out of games. The results tonight were pretty much spot on,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Lynn. “I’ve faced him for a long time. I remember facing him when he was with the White Sox earlier in the year, he still has really good stuff. It’s nice to have him on our side.”
That the Dodgers were unable to bring more reinforcements, particularly for their starting rotation, before the deadline doesn’t really register in the clubhouse, said Freeman, who had four hits Tuesday.
“We feel good. We love our team,” he said. “We had a first-place team going into the day and we have a first-place team coming out of tonight. We love the team we have.”
The Los Angeles version of Lynn retained some of the bugs in the Chicago version. He gave up three home runs – solo shots to Zack Gelof in the sixth inning and Brent Rooker and Jordan Diaz in the seventh – very on brand for the MLB leader in home runs allowed this season (31).
“We won. So it was good. That’s all that matters,” Lynn said, adding that there hasn’t been time yet for the Dodgers’ staff to offer any suggestions on adjustments he might make.
“To be honest, we just started talking. Will (Smith) and I have a little history with the WBC so we kind of know each other pretty well. So right now, it’s kind of hit the ground, do what you do and we’ll kind of figure it out as we go.”
Kiké Hernandez has been here the longest of the Dodgers’ trade deadline acquisitions and has already started to make some adjustments. They paid off in the fourth inning after A’s starter Ken Waldichuk loaded the bases, then hit James Outman with a pitch to force in the first run of the game.
Tayler Scott replaced Waldichuk and left a 2-and-2 fastball to Hernandez over the heart of the plate. Hernandez drilled it at 105.9 mph off the bat and over the head of the left fielder for a three-run double.
“I guess I just created some really bad habits over the last few years and we’re trying to clean that up,” said Hernandez, who is 4 for 13 with a pair of doubles since rejoining the Dodgers. “We’re getting to a better spot, to where it allows me to get my – not necessarily my A-swing off on a daily basis – but to get me in a better position to drive the ball more consistently.
“I feel like the last couple days in Boston, I started swinging the bat better. But since I got here, we started locking it in on the mechanics. From just watching video the last couple days, it looks better than what I was doing over there. Just keep building off it.”
After Lynn was done giving up his nightly allotment of homers, the Dodgers opened the game back up. Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, his 28th home run of the season (but only his second in 69 plate appearances since his Home Run Derby appearance).
Freeman’s third hit of the night, a single, followed along with another assortment of run-producing incompetence by the Oakland pitchers – a wild pitch and three more walks, including one to Outman with the bases loaded.
Betts doubled in the eighth inning and scored on Freeman’s fourth hit, an RBI single. The Dodgers finished the night with seven hits and nine walks.