The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-0 winning streak came to an end on Friday, thanks in large part to Jesús Luzardo’s dominant performance against the Phillies. The left-handed pitcher from Philadelphia dominated one of baseball’s most feared lineups, striking out 11 and allowing just two earned runs over seven scoreless innings.
Luzardo, who was acquired by the Phillies in a trade with the Miami Marlins, proved why he is considered a top talent. His fastball reached 98.6 mph, and he had four other pitches that were classified as strong offerings. The Dodgers struggled to get hits against him, going 18 straight batters without allowing a hit after the start of the second inning.
Despite a late-inning scare when two Dodgers put runners on with two outs in the seventh, Luzardo got his eighth strikeout and kept the scoreless. He was pulled from the game at 95 pitches, but the Phillies finished off the win with relief help from Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano.
The loss marked the Phillies’ first defeat, while the Dodgers fell to 8-1 on the season. The Dodgers’ winning streak had been the longest undefeated run by a defending champion in MLB history, but no team is expected to go 162-0. The real question now is how many teams can match the Phillies’ impressive form demonstrated by Luzardo on Friday.
The loss came hours after the San Diego Padres took their first loss against the Chicago Cubs, making it clear that not every undefeated team will remain so throughout the season. The Dodgers have spent the offseason building a talented roster to ensure they can compete with the best teams in baseball.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/dodgers-record-8-0-win-streak-ends-after-phillies-lhp-jesus-luzardo-mows-them-down-in-7-scoreless-innings-011521148.html