The rival San Francisco Giants arrived in Los Angeles Thursday night for the first time this young season.
Gridlocked with three runs a piece in the bottom of the sixth, Max Muncy put the Dodgers on top with a towering solo home run cemented in the centerfield bleachers leading the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the Giants.
Dodgers pitcher David Price, who opted out of the 2020 shortened season, reached a significant milestone with his 2,000th strikeout of his career.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of pitches thrown,” said Price. “Whenever I see a milestone like that, its longevity in this game. To be able to have that at the highest level of baseball, it’s special to me.”
Pitching in his 332nd career game David Price was the first of seven pitchers on the mound in a planned bullpen day by manager Dave Roberts.
35-year-old Price finished with five strikeouts. Just enough to reach 2,000 strikeouts and jumpstart a successful pitching day for the Dodgers.
All of the Dodgers runs were scored off long balls with the bats on fire for the boys in blue. Justin Turner got the home run brigade going with a moonshot to center in the third inning giving the Dodgers a 2-0 edge.
After an Evan Longoria solo home run, getting the Giants on the board. Dodgers Rookie DJ Peters also reached a milestone, crushing his first major league home run on a straight line drive to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 3-1 lead.
“It didn’t really hit me until after the game,” said Peters on his first career home run. “To get it here at Dodger Stadium was surreal, to do it against the team in orange and black is so much better.”
It’s not a rivalry without a little scare. Donovan Solano worried fans at Dodgers Stadium with a 2-run shot in the top of the sixth tying the game at three.
Muncy to the rescue. Max Muncy hit his team-high 11th home run giving the Dodgers the lead. Kenley Jansen continued his dominant stretch securing his 12th save and the 4-3 victory for the Dodgers.
“It’s good to see him heat up,” said Price on Muncy’s success. “It was only a matter of time for him.”
“I feel good. The adjustments that we’ve been trying to make for the beginning part of the year their finally taking hold and I feel pretty locked in,” said Muncy.
Los Angeles is now only a half game behind the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West.
