There were two great pitching performances by Dodgers Tony Gonsolin and Mariners Marco Gonzales. Base runs were difficult to come by, and teams were scoreless until the sixth inning. Pitcher Tony Gonsolin was filling up the strike zone, and the Dodgers defense led them to a sweeping victory over the Mariners.
Gonsolin was asked about joining Rich Hill as the only Dodger starter to start the season with three scoreless innings. “It’s always good to keep our offense in the game, I mean they’re so good. They’re going to score whether it’s from the first inning, the fifth inning, or late, they’re always going to give you a chance to win the game.” Gonsolin said this is the best he has felt in years, and all he has to do iron out the kinks in his delivery. “I’m just feeling more comfortable, going out there and taking advantage of every opportunity I get. Controlling what I can control out there and apart of that is my attitude behind my pitches.”
Justin Turner helped the Dodgers take the lead in the eighth inning with an RBI single, and the Mariners never recovered. “The hardest thing about today was the weather. It was really extremely hot. But Seattle has a good lineup. Top to bottom, they have some guys that can do damage. They don’t strike out very often, and they can put the ball into play, and our defense played really well behind me.”
Mookie Betts has been working with Austin Barners as his voluntary hitting coach, who has contributed to his increased batting average. “Mookie is great. I can’t say enough about him. He’s helped me tremendously. I don’t know if he wants it all out there, but he’s helped me with swinging. He’s been in the cage with me and watched me swing. That shows you what type of teammate he is to take time out of his day to help someone else.” Betts reached out to Barnes and wanted to help him with his mechanics.
Barnes said he’d been a fan of Gonsolin, and he always gives the Dodgers a chance to win the game. “Tony is a good pitcher, he knows what he’s doing out there, and gives us a shot every time he’s out there.”
Dodgers are on a seven-game winning streak and will look to extend it to eight games against the Mariners tonight at 6:40 PM.
