Will Smith’s blast helps Dodgers break their one-run and extra-inning funks
by Rowan Kavner
Will Smith has lived for the late moment throughout his three-year career. Presented with an opportunity to put the Dodgers’ inexplicable extra-inning and close-game funks behind them, he didn’t miss.
Smith, who entered the night with a team-best .981 OPS in close and late situations this year, added to his lengthy clutch home run resume with a two-run blast in the 10th inning off Mets reliever Jeurys Familia that saved a win from slipping away Friday night at Citi Field.
“I’m just confident with Will,” said manager Dave Roberts. “I really am. You’ve seen it time and time again, the pulse, the heartbeat, stays in the strike zone. He doesn’t run from it. You’re not going to be successful every time, but you can just tell when a player embraces those moments.”
Smith knocked in half of the Dodgers’ runs in a 6–5 victory that went to extra innings, where the club was 1–12 this year entering Friday night.
The Dodgers had dropped 11 straight extra-inning contests before Smith’s 394-foot drive ended the drought. Their late-inning struggles contributed to a 13–21 record in one-run games entering Friday — a mark that’s been difficult for Roberts and the Dodgers to explain as they chase the Giants in the division. But those records weren’t on Roberts’ mind after the victory.
Get Rowan Kavner’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
“Offensively, we had a four-run cushion, let the lead slip away,” Roberts said. “To just win the baseball game, I really don’t care — I don’t think anybody in that clubhouse cares — how we did it.”
It was an eventful finish Friday, long before Kenley Jansen entered and secured the win with his first two-inning performance of the year.
After Corey Seager — who entered with a .447/.500/.658 career slash line at Citi Field — started the scoring with an RBI double, the Dodgers plated each of their next three runs on sacrifice flies. The last came from Billy McKinney in the sixth inning, immediately preceding Urías’ spot in the lineup.
Matt Beaty ended up batting for Urías, ending the lefty’s night at 82 pitches after five scoreless innings. Despite his success this year, and demonstrating no signs of wearing down, Urías is nearing the 140-inning mark after throwing fewer than 80 innings in each of his previous five seasons. Roberts said before the night began that “the most important thing is to keep him healthy and keep him fresh through October.”
A 4–0 lead would be trusted to a Dodger bullpen that was taxed but flawless in its previous series in Philadelphia, entering Friday coming off 14 2/3 scoreless innings over the last three days. Brusdar Graterol looked poised to build on that with two quick strikeouts on eight pitches to start the bottom of the seventh. Michael Conforto then swung at the first pitch he saw and ripped a double to right field.
With Graterol pitching for the third time in four nights, he was removed. Trouble loomed. With lefties coming up, Roberts turned to his own left-hander in Justin Bruihl, who hadn’t allowed a run in his first three Major League appearances. Two walks, one intentional, and two softly-hit singles that dropped in front of center fielder Cody Bellinger plated three runs.
The Dodgers brought in Blake Treinen, who was also pitching for the third time in four nights, to try to hold the lead. A passed ball got by Smith to allow the tying run to score.
Smith would get a chance to redeem himself, helping the Dodgers tackle their one-run game and extra-inning demons in the process. It was the Dodgers’ first extra-inning win since beating the Padres in 12 innings on April 16.
“I’ve had success late in the game,” Smith said. “I feel confident, feel like I know what I’m doing.”
