The thrill of victory the Los Angeles Dodgers felt on Thursday night was blown away in the wind less than 24 hours later as Drew Smyly flirted with the first perfect game in Chicago Cubs franchise history. He wound up allowing one hit — an infield single — of a 13-0 win.
Smyly took the mound at Wrigley Field with a 1-2 record, 4.66 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in eight career games (six starts) against the Dodgers. He looked nothing like that pitcher, as the left-hander at one point struck out six consecutive batters.
Smyly’s outing did not include any near-hits, as the Dodgers struggled to make much quality contact or benefit from the wind blowing out onto Lake Michigan.
Only six outs away from MLB’s first perfect game since Félix Hernández on Aug. 15, 2012, Smyly lost his bid at perfection on a David Peralta swinging bunt that resulted in a leadoff infield single when the southpaw and Yan Gomes collided while both tried to make the play. Peralta’s dribbler up the third-base line had a 32.9 mph exit velocity.
Smyly’s day came to an end at 7.2 innings and with 10 strikeouts.
Julio Urías was chased in the fourth inning at 86 pitches. He allowed five runs, his most allowed since last July 10, which also was against the Cubs. That snapped a streak of 18 consecutive starts of allowing two earned runs or fewer.
A missed strike three call hurt Urías early as Seiya Suzuki eventually ended the at-bat with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning. Cody Bellinger hit a second home run off Urías this season, and Trey Mancini gave the Cubs another set of back-to-back long balls against him.
Bellinger combined with Patrick Wisdom for back-to-back home runs in Urías’ start against the Cubs at Dodger Stadium last week.
Friday’s loss was the first time the Dodgers lost by at least 12 runs since they were shut out 14-0 by the Houston Astros on August 4, 2018.
Luke Williams became the first Dodgers position player to pitch this season, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Last perfect game against Dodgers
Dennis Martinez threw the most recent perfect game against Dodgers, which was July 28, 1991, in a win for the now-defunct Montreal Expos.
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