The previously slumping Los Angeles Dodgers have rediscovered their offensive power at the expense of a pitcher making his big-league debut.
The Dodgers crushed a grand slam in each of the first two innings against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Alec Bettinger on Sunday. It was Bettinger’s first MLB start after being promoted from the alternate training site on Thursday. It ended in a 16-4 Los Angeles win.
The Dodgers filled the bases in the first inning on two outs and Matt Beaty brought in the first run of the game on an infield single. AJ Pollock followed with a 409-foot grand slam to deep right center that scored Justin Turner, Chris Taylor and Beaty to make it 5-0.
Bettinger walked a second batter in the inning, but got a second foul out to close it.
The outing went similarly in the second inning. Taylor reached on an infield single that filled the bases on two outs and Beaty blasted a 361-foot shot to right just beyond the outfielder’s gloves.
Two innings, two grand slams for the Dodgers.
Bettinger remained in the game, giving up an inning-opening single in the third but getting a sacrifice and two ground outs to strand the runner at second. Beaty hit a two-RBI single in the fourth that made it 11-1.
He went four innings and allowed 11 runs on 11 hits with two walks and zero strikeouts. Jordan Zimmerman came in to replace him and the Dodgers nearly nailed a third grand slam.
Smith doubled and Taylor took a hit by pitch to reach base in the sixth. Beaty lined out to enter and Pollock took another deep shot 406 feet to left center for a three-run home run that pushed it to 14-1.
Pollock added to his tally with an RBI double in the eighth and had a chance to break the Dodgers’ single-game record of nine RBI by a single player (James Loney, Gil Hodges) in his last at-bat. He faced a full count with two outs and runners on first and third base in the ninth inning, but struck out swinging to finish with eight RBI. He had seven RBI on the season when he started the day.
The Dodgers are the first team to hit a grand slam in each of the first two innings since the Boston Red Sox did it on Aug. 7, 1984. Pollock and Beaty are the first Dodgers teammates to have seven RBI each in the same game, the Dodgers said. It’s unclear if any teammates hitting back-to-back in a lineup have each had seven in an MLB game.
The MLB record for RBI in a game is 12.
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