May 27, 2017

Chase Utley drove in 3 runs and Chris Taylor belted a 2-run shot, as the Dodgers shut down the Cubs 5-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Ravine.

Brandon McCarthy pitched 6 shutout innings, yielding just 2 hits.  He improved his record to 5-1 on the season, with two of those wins coming against the Cubs.

Ross Stripling came out of the bullpen to give the Dodgers 3 innings of shutout relief.   He allowed just 1 hit.  He recorded his 2nd professional save.  His first since 2013 when he was in Double-A.

Utley gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning with an RBI single that scored Kike Hernandez with two outs.

LA would pad their lead in the 4th on Taylor’s 2-run shot to left off John Lackey.

Later in the inning, Utley came through again with a 2-run single that scored Yasmani Grandal and Hernandez.

“We know what Chase can do, and that it would be just a matter of time before he got out of whatever he was in,” said Grandal. ”He’s been really good for like 40 years, right? It was nice to see the back-to-back homers (on Thursday and Friday night) and now these hits today.”

Lackey (4-5) was done after 5 innings.  He gave up 5 runs on 6 hits.  He walked 4 and struck out 5.

McCarthy had pain in his knee and left the game to have his knee examined after departing in the 5th.

Chicago has been shut out in three consecutive road games and held scoreless in four of its last six games away from Wrigley Field, scoring five runs in that span.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon at the Ravine. Both teams will throw their aces.  Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.01 ERA) for the Dodgers and Jon Lester (3-2, 3.19 ERA) goes for the Cubs.