Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times
The Dodgers complete the sweep of the Washington Nationals as they honor another great Dodgers legend.
It seems like the Dodgers should have some ceremony every day they play their home games as it appears to be giving them some good luck. The Dodgers honored legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela on Sunday as he is one of the most iconic Dodgers pitchers in history. Valenzuela was born in Mexico and had related to the Hispanic culture that is heavily rooted in the heart of Los Angeles, which makes his connection to the Dodgers even more special. His numerous accolades include Rookie of the Year and a Cy Young award in the same year of 1981, 6-time All-Star, and a Gold Glove award in 1986.
McKinstry Versus The Nationals
Sunday was another instance where the Dodgers offense suffered the absence of Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers didn’t get many chances to score with Max Scherzer on the mound and looking like his old self. However, to the Dodgers luck, Zack McKinstry hit an RBI double that got lost in the sun by the left and center fielders that led to the Dodgers lead.
McKinstry then did it again with his bat as he hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 7th. With the lack of production from the rest of the Dodgers lineup, McKinstry essentially carried the team on his back. That would be all the run production the Dodgers would need, as the pitching staff was phenomenal.
Zach McKINGstry! pic.twitter.com/FIHH0UCBbl
— Dodgers-LowDown (@DodgersLowDown) April 11, 2021
Kershaw Continues His Dominance
While the ceremonies may have brought some fortuitous energy, Clayton Kershaw proved that he needed none with his dominant performance on Sunday. From honoring one left-handed specialist in Valenzuela, to seeing another lefty adding onto a legendary career of his own, Kershaw displayed great stuff on the mound. He pitched six fantastic innings of work while giving up no runs on five hits with six strikeouts. The bullpen could back up his performance with solid outings from Corey Knebel, Blake Treinen, and Kenley Jansen.
Yes, you heard that right. Jansen got the nod for the save situation in the 9th inning and was lights out. He wasted no time retiring the side in order on two strikeouts and a popout to record his second save of 2021. Could the three days of rest be the answer to his cutter sitting at 94 mph? A velocity he hasn’t averaged since 2017. He also peppered in a 95 mph two-seam fastball. Jansen can quickly squash any doubts of his ability if he continues performing like this.
You want to know why Kenley Jansen is trending? ⬇️pic.twitter.com/QVI7fiZUb4
— Dodgers-LowDown (@DodgersLowDown) April 11, 2021
Looking Ahead
The Dodgers have a scheduled off-day on Monday and will get right back at it on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. This time the Dodgers will be at home with Trevor Bauer getting the nod. He pitched well in Oakland as he went 6.2 innings while giving up two runs on three hits with ten strikeouts. He was also caught up with some social media drama. He spoke out against an article published by The Athletic about Major League Baseball examining the balls he used during the game in Oakland.
The Rockies will counter with Antonio Senzatela, who pitched a fantastic game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went eight innings while giving up no runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Game time will be at 7:10 pm PST.
Jacob Cisneros is a writer for Dodgers-LowDown. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @_JacobCisneros.
