Dodgers defeat Mariners with strong pitching performance and home run from Muncy

LOS ANGELES — Gavin Stone struck out a career-high 10 over seven innings, Gavin Lux and Max Muncy homered in the seventh, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Monday night.

The Dodgers have won seven in a row overall and eight straight at home against the Mariners since 2015.

Stone (11-5), a 25-year-old right-hander, recorded eight strikeouts through four innings. He allowed singles to Julio Rodriguez and former Dodger Justin Turner, who returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since his memorable nine-year run with the team ended in 2022. He went 1 for 3.

“Felt good with everything pretty much and Will (Smith) did a great job calling pitches,” Stone said. “They’re a team that swings a lot so getting ahead was huge.”

Evan Phillips retired the side in the ninth to earn his 16th save.

Lux homered off Bryan Woo (5-2) with one out in the seventh. The 24-year-old right-hander left one batter later after hitting Will Smith.

Muncy followed with a two-run shot off former Dodger Yimi Garcia for his first homer since May 7.

“It’s just a relentless lineup,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When you got Max Muncy hitting seventh, that’s saying something. For Max to come up in a big spot and homer gave us some breathing room.”

The third baseman came off the injured list on Monday after being out since May 17 with an oblique strain.

“It’s a little bit of a relief,” Muncy said. “The mechanics feel really good. Obviously, the timing isn’t where I want it to be.”

Muncy endured a couple of months where his injury couldn’t be pinpointed. He got numerous chiropractic adjustments, as well as scans, MRIs and an injection.

“Once we finally got it fixed, it felt like I wasn’t even injured,” he said.

Woo gave up two runs and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.

The Dodgers had been limited to an opposite-field single by Shohei Ohtani in the first before their big rally in the seventh. With two outs, they loaded the bases on Tommy Edman’s first single as a Dodger and back-to-back walks to Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Freddie Freeman lined to second to end the inning.

Freeman played with a hairline fracture on his right middle finger. He deftly caught a liner by Josh Rojas and stepped on first to double Turner off and end the fifth.

Freeman robbed Cal Raleigh of a hit in the sixth, leaping fully extended to grab a liner that ended the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Activated INF-OF Edman (off-season wrist surgery) and INF Muncy (right oblique strain) from the IL. … Placed C Austin Barnes (left big toe fracture) on the IL. … Transferred RHP River Ryan (right elbow UCL strain) to the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (9-7, 3.29 ERA) is coming off a gem against Detroit in which he allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out nine.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-4, 5.68 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the IL. He needs to improve after giving up four runs and three hits over 3 1/3 innings against Milwaukee.

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a solid victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night, thanks to a stellar pitching performance and a key home run from Max Muncy.

The Dodgers’ pitching staff was on fire, with starter Julio Urias leading the way by tossing six scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. Urias displayed excellent command of his pitches, striking out seven batters and keeping the Mariners’ offense at bay throughout his outing. The bullpen also stepped up, with relievers Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen combining for three scoreless innings to close out the game.

Offensively, the Dodgers were led by Max Muncy, who delivered a crucial two-run home run in the fourth inning to give his team the lead. Muncy’s blast was his 25th of the season, continuing his impressive power surge and providing the Dodgers with a much-needed offensive spark.

Overall, it was a complete team effort for the Dodgers, as they showcased their strength on both sides of the ball to secure the win. With strong pitching performances and timely hitting from players like Max Muncy, the Dodgers continue to prove why they are one of the top teams in Major League Baseball.