Dodgers slug 6 HRs, win 12 straight for 1st time since '76

KANSAS CITY -- If there was any question about the power and discipline of the Dodgers’ lineup, Saturday night was a great example of what they can do when everyone is clicking.

Los Angeles flexed its offensive muscle by powering six home runs in a 13-3 win over the Royals for their 12th straight victory -- one shy of tying a franchise record since moving to L.A. The Dodgers (79-33), who have the best record in the Majors, will look to secure their fourth consecutive series sweep on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

The first seven batters showed how patient, unselfish, and dangerous this Dodgers team can be. It all started with Mookie Betts, who set the tone with a leadoff homer, his 26th jack of the season, which came on a 2-2 pitch from Royals starter Brad Keller.

But then the line kept moving as the Dodgers scored four more runs in the first inning behind singles and walks to take a quick 5-0 lead.

“It’s nine guys taking professional at-bats,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Guys that can run counts and use the whole field. They have different clubs in their bag and when you can do that with the talent, it's really tough to navigate.”

Then, the fireworks were turned on again.

In the second inning after a Betts single, Will Smith hit his 17th home run of the season, a no-doubt blast to left field for a seven-run lead. Gavin Lux added a solo homer in the third inning for his fifth dinger of the season.

“Guys are continuing to work in the cage, get their swings right, and we’re sticking to our approaches at the plate,” Smith said. “We’re being really stubborn and wearing guys out, and then jumping on them.”

Max Muncy joined the home run barrage with a two-run shot to right field for a 10-2 lead in the fourth. Joey Gallo and Cody Bellinger added solo homers in the ninth.

The Dodgers’ offense is clicking on all cylinders, but no one is seeing the ball better than Muncy. He seems to have found his swing after struggling for the first four months of the season. The two-time All-Star has five home runs in nine games this month with 12 RBIs and nine runs scored. He had a career-high four hits and drove in four on Saturday.

“I think he is just taking better at-bats,” Roberts said. “He’s not trying to hit every ball out of the ballpark and looks like a professional hitter the way he’s going. This is what got him to be Max Muncy. He’s hitting the ball hard, driving in runs and taking walks. It was a good night for him.”

Dodgers starter Andrew Heaney exited the game with a left arm contusion after being hit with a liner in the third inning. The lefty proceeded to strike out the next two batters before being lifted in the top of the fourth. He went three innings and allowed two runs on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts in his fourth start since coming off the injured list on July 27 due to issues with his left shoulder. He’s expected to make his next start.

“I’m fine, just threw a pitch right down the middle and couldn’t get out of the way,” Heaney explained. “I wanted to stay in, but it didn’t happen. It was more of a precautionary thing I guess.”

During this 12-game win streak, the Dodgers' longest since 1976, they have won every game by multiple runs. The last team to do it was the 1922 Pirates, whose 13-game streak ended exactly 100 years ago on Saturday.

The Dodgers have outscored their opponents by 60 runs (91-31) in the past 12 games. It’s the eighth time in that stretch that they’ve scored eight or more runs in a game.

“We have a lot of talented players, but what I think gets lost is the coaching staff does a great job in having these guys prepared the right way and perform up to their abilities,” Roberts said. “Certainly you have to have talent, but there are a lot of other variables, too. There are a lot of other teams that have talent that are underperforming so I think there is something to be said about how we go about each day and play.”