Field Level Media
May 2, 2021
The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a four-game sweep to the host Milwaukee Brewers by hitting grand slams in consecutive innings en route to a 16-4 victory Sunday afternoon.
AJ Pollock (eight RBIs) and Matt Beaty (seven) combined to drive in 15 of Los Angeles' 16 runs.
Milwaukee was trying to pull off a four-game sweep of the defending champs but things went south in a hurry.
Alec Bettinger, making his major league debut, appeared to be out of a jam with two outs and bases loaded in the first when Beaty grounded to first baseman Keston Hiura. Bettinger could not find first base in fielding the throw, however, and the first run came home. The Dodgers led 5-0 three pitches later as Pollock cleared the bases with the first grand slam of the day.
There was more traffic on the bases for Bettinger (0-1) in the second as Los Angeles loaded them up with two outs once again. This time it was Beaty with the big swing, putting the first pitch he saw into the right field seats to make it 9-0.
The offensive outburst was welcomed by a struggling Los Angeles team that had lost three consecutive games to the Brewers.
Graced with a five-run lead before throwing his first pitch, Julio Urias (4-0) cruised for much of the day, striking out 10 in seven innings of work.
The Dodgers tagged on two in the fourth off Bettinger on a single from Beaty (4-for-6, three runs scored). Not to be outdone, Pollock (3-for-6) hit a three-run homer in the sixth to give the Dodgers a 14-1 lead. Los Angeles added two more in the eighth.
Jacob Nottingham accounted for three of Milwaukee's runs, hitting home runs in the third and eighth.
Bettinger went four innings in his debut, allowing 11 runs on 11 hits with no strikeouts. Bettinger also walked two, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.
--Field Level Media