Dodgers rookies provide power in win over Phillies

LOS ANGELES — Seven years and a plethora of minor-league bombs in the making, Ryan Ward finally can tell the story of his first big fly in the majors.

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The left-handed-hitting masher went deep into the bullpen in right field, helping the Dodgers to a 9-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and a fifth consecutive series win on Sunday afternoon.

“I kind of blacked out if I’m being honest with you,” Ward said of the moment that came with family members in the stands. “I hit it and just kind of went numb. Watching it go over the fence was really cool. An incredible feeling for sure.”

Ward was not the only Dodgers rookie to go deep. Two batters later in the fourth inning, Alex Freeland also hit a home run as the bottom of the order ruled the day. Max Muncy also hit a late homer with the game well in hand.

For Freeland, it was just his third home run of the season and the fifth of his career, but he was far more invested in what Ward was going through in the dugout.

“I’m just uber excited for Ryan Ward,” said Freeland, who worked with his Triple-A teammate on a plan of attack before the game. “I don’t think there’s anybody that deserves it more than him. So to share that moment with him is special.”

Had he been with most other franchises, Ward’s major league career would be well underway. He had to bide his time in an organization full of superstars.

“(Freeland) made a note that Ryan was probably the most positive guy down there in Triple-A, and that speaks to his character,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “And if there’s anyone that has the right to be salty and frustrated, it’s him, but he was professional about it.

“He was an easy one to recall and get him here. And I’m going to try to give him some opportunities, so he can make the most of them.”

Ward made his major league debut last month when he saw action in a pair of games in Colorado. He was recalled on Friday when Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) went on the injured list and was playing in his first career game at Dodger Stadium.

The long-ball output was more than enough for right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who matched a career high with 10 strikeouts over 5⅓ scoreless innings. Yamamoto (5-4) earned a win in consecutive starts for the first time this season.

“He just didn’t have that great command of the fastball, which I think led to some deeper counts,” Roberts said. “He didn’t take on any damage, but it just led to a higher pitch count. So we tried to get him into the sixth inning, which we did, but I didn’t want to push him too much further. It just speaks to how good he is.”

Ward’s road to Sunday’s moment was long in both time and distance traveled in home runs. The 28-year-old has gone deep 156 times in his seven minor league seasons after he was an eighth-round draft pick in 2019 out of Bryant University in Rhode Island.

Last season alone, Ward hit 36 home runs with 122 RBIs at Triple-A Oklahoma City and was named the Pacific Coast League MVP. Ward led the minor leagues in home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits (73) and total bases (315) last season.

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This home run, though, was the one he always imagined. And while the euphoria matched his thoughts, he said the moment played out faster than he expected. That it came in his first game at Dodger Stadium only added to the thrill.

“When I went out to left field I was just kind of looking around, taking it in and just realizing how special this was,” Ward said. “Just have fun with it, enjoy it all.”

Expected to split time in left field with Alex Call until Hernandez returns, Ward’s spot in the lineup came with Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter on the mound.

Freeland was actually the first to get to Painter on Sunday, when he doubled in a run for a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Dodgers made it 2-0 in the third inning when Kyle Tucker singled off the first-base bag to score Freddie Freeman.

Ward started the homer theatrics with a leadoff home run in the fourth on an 87-mph slider from Painter. His blast had an exit velocity of 108 mph and was estimated to travel 400 feet.

Freeland’s home run just inside the right-field foul pole was modest by comparison at 97 mph off the bat and 344 feet. His third of the season knocked Painter from the game as the rookie finished with a career low 3⅓ innings.

“Everybody in this locker room is a superstar,” Freeland said when asked about team depth. “A lot of us get overlooked just because we have guys like Shohei and Freddie (Freeman). Everybody in this clubhouse can ball.”

Call assumed Ward’s spot in the order as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning and delivered a two-run single for a 6-0 lead.

Yamamoto did not allow a hit over the first three innings. He left two aboard in the fourth and had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth before he struck out Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Schwarber struck out all three times he faced Yamamoto.

Yamamoto left to a standing ovation after he struck out Brandon Marsh in the sixth.

The Dodgers’ offense continued to deliver in the sixth on a pop-up triple down the right-field line by Pages and a sacrifice fly from Freeman. Muncy added his solo home run in the seventh and Freeman had another sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Phillies’ Bryson Stott ended the Dodgers’ shutout bid with a home run in the ninth inning against Jonathan Hernandez.

“I think it just speaks to how we’re playing,” Roberts said of the victory. “I expect to go out there, regardless of opponent, and play well. On the heels of (a loss) last night, to be able to bounce back like we did was a good thing and a good sign for our club. I just like the way we go about things.”

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