Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, left, celebrates with Freddie Freeman after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner (10) is forced out at home by Kansas City Royals catcher MJ Melendez as he tried to score on a double play hit into by Cody Bellinger during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts waits to bat before a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Wearing throwback Kansas City Monarchs uniforms, the Kansas City Royals stand for the national anthem a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor watches a solo home run hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, left, celebrates with Freddie Freeman after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner hits an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Gavin Lux celebrates on first after hitting an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals’ Michael A. Taylor fields an RBI single by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Gavin Lux during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney throws some practice pitches after getting hit by a single hit by Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals’ Brent Rooker hits a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals right fielder Nate Eaton runs onto the field during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
A fan dressed as a hot dog competes in the “hot dog derby” between innings of a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel (91) after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hanser Alberto (17) and catcher Will Smith celebrate after their baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hanser Alberto motions towards first base during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joey Gallo (12) celebrates with Trayce Thompson after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hanser Alberto throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joey Gallo (12), Cody Bellinger (35) and Trayce Thompson (25) celebrate after their baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals second baseman Nicky Lopez pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Dodgers won 13-3. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If it were a prize fight, they would have stopped it early. But nobody has been able to go the distance with the Dodgers recently.
The Dodgers hit home runs in each of the first four innings, scored seven times in the first two and routed the Kansas City Royals 13-3 Saturday night to extend their winning streak to 12 games.
That is their longest winning streak since the 1976 team also won 12 in a row in April and May. They could match the longest streak in Los Angeles Dodgers history with a win Sunday and the longest in MLB this season with two more – the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves each had 14-game winning streaks this season.
“I think this is kind of how we envisioned ourselves playing at the beginning of the year,” said Gavin Lux who hit one of the Dodgers’ six home runs Saturday. “I think we knew we’d get there eventually. It was just a matter of time and we started rolling on all cylinders.
“Just keep rolling and doing what we’re doing because it’s kind of unconscious. We’re not making a big deal out of winning 12 straight. It’s just taking care of business.”
Business has been very good.
The Dodgers have won each of the games during the streak by multiple runs, scoring eight or more runs in eight of them including the past four. Overall they have outscored their opponents 91-31 during the 12 games.
According to Stats LLC, the Dodgers are the first National League team to win 12 consecutive games by multiple runs since the Pittsburgh Pirates did it for 13 consecutive games exactly 100 years ago with a streak that ended on August 13, 1922.
Asked if this is the best offensive stretch he has seen from the Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts didn’t hesitate.
“It is,” he said. “As far as how we’re winning games, off the get-go and sustaining leads and things like that, lineup 1 through 9 – this is as good as I’ve seen, yeah.
“It’s nine guys taking professional at-bats. Guys can run counts, they can use the whole field, they have different clubs in their bag. When you can do that with the talent … it’s just really tough to navigate.”
Even in this parade of dominant wins, Saturday’s stood out.
The beating was so swift and thorough that Mookie Betts had a three-hit game … in the top of the third inning and Roberts opted to call it a day for Trea Turner (who has started every game this season) in the fourth.
Royals starter Brad Keller never stood a chance. He gave up a leadoff home run to Mookie Betts – the 35th leadoff homer of Betts’ career (tying him with Bobby Bonds for 12th all-time). The first seven Dodgers batters reached base, five of them coming around to score.
It was the 16th time this season the Dodgers have scored five (or more) runs in a single inning, tying them with the Phillies for the most of those explosions in MLB this year.
“We just have a lot of really good hitters,” Lux said. “When you put a five-spot on early, you can kind of just cruise from there.
“First inning kind of set the tone and just rolled from there. But there’s a lot of really good hitters in this lineup so it’s fun to be a part of.”
Will Smith hit a two-run home run in the second inning, Lux his solo shot in the third and Max Muncy sent one 422 feet into the fountains for a two-run home run in the fourth.
Muncy finished the day with four hits including a double and the homer and drove in four runs, continuing his second-half rebirth.
In his past 16 games, Muncy is 19 for 58 (.328) with six doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI. Languishing well below the ‘Mendoza Line’ all season, Muncy has raised his average within hailing distance at .189.
“The results withstanding I think he’s just taking better at-bats,” Roberts said. “I don’t think he’s trying to hit every ball out of the ballpark. I think he looks like a professional hitter. This is what got him to be Max Muncy – he’s hitting the ball hard, he’s driving in runs, he’s taking his walks.”
Joey Gallo and Cody Bellinger hit back-to-back home runs when the game reached the inevitable ‘Position Player Pitching’ portion of the night in the ninth inning (Royals infielder Nicky Lopez, in this case).
The lone down note of the night came in the third inning when Royals rookie (aren’t they all?) Bobby Witt Jr. smoked a line drive, 106.5 mph off the bat, that hit Dodgers starter Andrew Heaney in the left arm.
“Just threw a pitch right down the middle. He hit it right back at me. I couldn’t get out of the way,” Heaney said.
“A smart pitcher would have turned his back to it. … It chased me. I couldn’t get out of the way this time.”
Heaney struck out the next two batters but came out after three innings and 60 pitches as a precaution. He and Roberts both said there is no reason to expect the left-hander to miss a start.
