LOS ANGELES ― The in-game presentation and the local broadcasts of the Dodgers’ three games against the Oakland A’s all featured a barely disguised mandate: to remind a last-place team whose future existence lies in limbo of the time the Dodgers beat them in the 1988 World Series.
On the field, the Dodgers shellacked the A’s thrice. Their 8-2 win on Thursday night, before an announced sellout crowd of 52,624 at Dodger Stadium, completed a three-game sweep in which the Dodgers outscored the visitors 25-6.
The challenge for the Dodgers (62-45) is about to get more interesting: a four-game series in San Diego against the NL West rival Padres. The second-place San Francisco Giants (61-49, 2½ games behind) have also won three in a row, while the Padres (54-55) have won five of six.
“The last road trip, we had an opportunity to sweep three times,” Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said, “and we couldn’t get it done. Sometimes we have to do that. We have to continue to get W’s. That’s the way you gain ground and get in a good position.”
Rojas hit a pair of run-scoring doubles and Freddie Freeman went 3 for 5 with a home run, his 22nd of the season. Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez each had two of the Dodgers’ 14 hits.
Julio Urías (8-6) threw five shutout innings in his first start since July 25. The left-hander had been nursing an issue with his left index finger in the meantime but he said it was not an issue Thursday. He struck out five batters and walked just one.
The Dodgers were leading 2-0 in the sixth inning when Emmet Sheehan allowed Zack Gelof’s second home run of the series. The Dodgers answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
A two-run double by Amed Rosario was the highlight; Rosario nearly advanced two bases when a throw from the outfield missed every A’s infielder in sight. He settled in at third base, and David Peralta followed with a run-scoring pinch-hit single to cap the rally.
Peralta replaced Max Muncy, who suffered a left wrist contusion when he was hit by a 91-mph fastball from Sears in the fifth inning. Manager Dave Roberts said x-rays were negative but that Muncy was “very sore” afterward.
Sheehan had been scheduled to start Saturday in San Diego, but he pitched the final four innings of the game to earn his first career save. Who will take his turn in the rotation?
“TBD,” Roberts said. “I think it’s fair to say that at some point in time the next couple days we’re going to see (Ryan) Yarbrough. I just don’t know in what capacity.”
The Dodgers acquired Yarbrough from the Kansas City Royals just ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Tuesday for a pair of minor leaguers. With the Royals, Yarbrough had started and relieved seven games apiece, so he could fill either role upon arrival in San Diego.
But Sheehan’s move to the bullpen suggests the Dodgers will need Yarbrough to pitch the bulk of Saturday’s innings, even if the Dodgers elect to use an opener.
Sweeping the A’s is a relatively minor accomplishment in the grand scheme. It’s happened 15 times this season – not including the time the team’s seven-decade tenure in Oakland was swept away to Las Vegas in a daring about-face by owner John Fisher. An audible spattering of “sell the team” chants could be heard from disgruntled A’s fans at Dodger Stadium.
For the Dodgers, the sweep was business as usual.
“You’ve got to take care of business,” Freeman said. “They’ve got a young team over there of guys getting their feet wet in the big leagues. Obviously, we’ve got to take care of business when we’re playing those guys and we were able to do that.”