LOS ANGELES — Gavin Stone had one of the best outings of his young career and Max Muncy reminded the home fans that third base at Dodger Stadium remains in good hands.
While the Seattle Mariners’ Justin Turner was the toast of pregame ceremonies, Stone took over once the game began and Muncy stole everybody’s thunder in his return to the lineup with a late two-run home run in a 3-0 Dodgers victory.
Not to be outdone was Gavin Lux, who continued his recent revival with a seventh-inning home run to break a scoreless deadlock.
The Dodgers returned home from a 4-3 road trip to win four the fourth consecutive time at Dodger Stadium. In the process, they maintained a three-game lead on the San Diego Padres in the National League West and a four-game advantage on the Arizona Diamondbacks after both rivals won their games on Monday.
Stone (11-5) was in complete control of the Seattle lineup, finishing with 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. He allowed two hits with two walks.
Before the fourth inning was over, Stone already had a career best in strikeouts with eight. He threw 90 pitches in shades of an April 26 win at Toronto when he also gave up two hits over seven innings and allowed one run.
Stone had previously recorded seven strikeouts three times this season, including a June 26 complete-game shutout against the Chicago White Sox.
Turner managed a third-inning ground out against Stone and had one of the two hits against the right-hander with a fifth-inning single to right-center field.
Lux’s home run came against red-hot Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo, who had allowed just one hit through six innings. Lux’s ninth home run, and third in his past seven games, came with one out.
After Will Smith was hit by a pitch to end Woo’s night, Muncy hit a pitch off of former Dodgers right-hander Yimi Garcia into the Mariners’ bullpen in right field for his 10th of the season.
Joe Kelly followed Stone with a scoreless eighth inning and Evan Phillips pitched the ninth for his 16th save.
Tommy Edman made his Dodgers debut in center field and went 1 for 3 out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Muncy’s home run came from the No. 7 spot.
“On the position player side, since Opening Day, this is as healthy as we’ve been,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When you have Tommy Edman hitting ninth, Miguel Rojas, what he’s done for us hitting eighth, Max Muncy at seventh, you’ve got some length in your lineup.
“We’re still trying to get some pitchers to health. But as far as offensively, I like the guys we have.”
The lineup included Freddie Freeman, who started at first base and batted third despite being diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his right middle finger. Freeman went 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
More to come on this story.
Gavin Stone is dealin' tonight! pic.twitter.com/NH9FkvxUbS
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 20, 2024
Muncy's back like he never left.
Catch all the action on #DodgersTV at no extra cost for Spectrum customers with both Internet and mobile services. : https://t.co/i0HWddg9k0 pic.twitter.com/L3TDAzY6Qm
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 20, 2024
Gavin Lux
His solo shot gives the #Dodgers a 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/FHaBfUfzYN
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 20, 2024
A standing ovation for Justin Turner pic.twitter.com/RqGUe4gCZk
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 20, 2024
