May 30, 2017

Chase Utley had three hits and finished a home run short of the cycle, as the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals 9-4 and moved into 1st place in the NL West.  It was LA’s 6th straight win.

Logan Forsythe and Chris Taylor combined to reach base 8 times, combining for four runs, and LA got another great effort from their bullpen.

The Dodger bullpen utilized six relievers, giving up just 1 run in 5 innings of work.  Brandon Morrow (1-0) got credit for the win after pitching a scoreless 5th inning.

Kenta Maeda allowed 3 runs in the first inning, but settled down after that.  He made it through four innings, giving up those 3 runs on 4 hits.  He departed after 82 pitches.

After falling behind 3-0, the Dodgers got four runs in the 4rd inning .  Adrian Gonzales delivered a sacrifice fly, Utley had an RBI double, and Kike Hernandez came through with a 2-run single.  The Dodgers got a pair of bases loaded walks and an RBI fielder’s choice from Forsythe in the 5th to make it 7-3.

Yadier Molina hit a solo homer in the 8th inning for the Cardinals.  Molina had 3 RBI, and his solo blast off Chris Hatcher broker the Dodger bullpen’s scoreless innings streak of 24 2/3 innings.

Michael Wacha (2-3) took the loss, pitching just three innings, and throwing 77 pitches.  He was charged with 4 runs (3 of them earned) on 5 hits.

Game 3 of the series will be on Wednesday evening at Busch Stadium.  Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-5, 4.28 ERA) gets the start for LA after Alex Wood was placed on the DL.  The Cardinals counter with Carlos Martinez (3-4, 3.32 ERA).

May 29, 2017

Chase Utley, Cody Bellinger and Logan Forsythe all hit home runs, as the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals 5-1 on Monday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Rich Hill (2-2) rebounded from a poor start against the Cardinals last week by pitching 5 strong innings, giving up just 1 earned run on 2 hits.  He struck out 4, walked 2, while throwing 86 pitches and picking up the win.

“We’re starting to hit the ball out of the ballpark,” skipper Dave Roberts said. “To see Logan get a homer, obviously Cody’s been doing it. Chase really quality at-bats and starting to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but I think if you look at our lineup, there’s guys that are really grinding that aren’t swinging the way we’re capable of.”

The Dodgers have now won 5 in a row, and with the Rockies’ loss Monday, LA is just .5 games out of 1st place in the NL West.

Mike Leake (5-3) took the loss.  He entered the game leading the majors with a 1.91 ERA, but allowed a season-high four runs in 6 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers got a pair of runs in the 3rd inning on Utley’s solo blast, and an RBI single from Corey Seager, which scored Yasiel Puig.  Utley has hit 3 home runs in his last 5 games, while hitting .461 and driving in 6 runs in that stretch.

Bellinger’s solo shot in the 4th inning made it 3-0.  it was his ninth home run in May, tying Joc Pederson and James Loney for the Dodgers rookie record for home runs in a month.  The Dodger rookie also leads the club with 11 homers and 29 RBI.

The Cards’ only run of the game came on a sacrifice fly in the 4th inning by Jedd Gyorko, scoring Tommy Pham.

The Dodgers would add a sacrifice fly in the 7th from Yasiel Puig, followed by Logan Forsythe’s first homer as a Dodger.

Brandon Morrow pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth in his season debut for the Dodgers after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers and Cardinals will do it again at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night.   Kenta Maeda (4-2, 5.08 ERA) will face St. Louis for the 2nd straight start.  The Cardinals will send Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.66 ERA) to the mound.

May 28, 2017

Cody Bellinger and Kike Hernandez drilled 3-run homers, as the Dodgers hammered the Cubs 9-4 on Sunday afternoon at the Ravine.  LA completed a 3-game weekend sweep over the Cubs.

The game figured to be a pitching duel with Clayton Kershaw going up against Jon Lester, but neither pitcher was on their game.  Kershaw did not factor into the decision after giving up 4 runs on 11 hits, unable to get out of the 5th inning.  Lester (3-3) took the loss after going just 3 1/3 innings, and giving up 6 runs on 7 hits.

After trailing 1-0 on a home run by Wilson Contreras, Bellinger’s 3-run homer in the 2nd gave the Dodgers the lead, then Hernandez 4th homer of the year made it 6-1.

Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo went deep off Kershaw to make it 6-4, however, the Dodgers would extend the lead in the 5th.  Austin Barnes connected on a solo homer off of Mike Montgomery, then in the 7th, Yasiel Puig delivered a 2-run shot off Hector Rondon to make it 9-4.

The Cubs were outscored 18-4 in the series, losing the first two games by scores of 4-0 and 5-0.

Josh Field (2-0) got credit for the win.  Fields, Sergio Romo, Adam Liberatore, and Kenley Jansen provided 4+ innings of shutout relief, in which they did not even allow a hit.

The Dodgers have won 9 of 11 overall and 11 of 13 at home.  LA remains a 1.5 games behind the 1st place Rockies in the NL West.

It’s on to St. Louis now for the Dodgers, where they’ll begin a four game series starting Monday.  Rich Hill (1-2, 4.76 ERA) will try to get back in the win column after a rough outing last week for LA.  The Cardinals will go with Mike Leake (5-2, 1.91 ERA), who stifled the Dodgers last week.

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.

May 26, 2017

Alex Wood threw 5 more shutout innings while improving his record to 6-0, as the Dodgers blanked the Cubs 4-0 on Friday night at the Ravine.

Wood allowed 2 hits while striking out 8 and walking 2.  He extended his career-high scoreless innings streak to 25 1/3, longest in the majors this season.

“I definitely feel confident now,” Wood said. “The consistency of my stuff has been there and that’s where my confidence is coming from.”

Pedro Baez and Chris Hatcher combined to throw four hitless innings after Wood departed.

Chase Utley connected on a solo homer off of Jake Arrieta in the 3rd inning to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.  Yasmani Grandal doubled in Corey Seager in the 4th, and Adrian Gonzales drilled a 2-run shot to center in the 6th.

Arrieta (5-4) took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits.  He struck out 9 and walked 1.  He departed after 6 innings and 95 pitches.

“I thought it was somewhat of a victory getting Wood out after five,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He started out hot. His numbers were high, but then all of a sudden his velocity came back down. But their bullpen was that good.”

Game 2 of the series will be on Saturday night.  Brandon McCarthy (4-1, 3.76 ERA) is on the hill for the boys in blue, while the Cubs go with  John Lackey (4-4, 4.82 ERA).

May 25, 2017

The Dodgers are finding all kinds of creative ways to use their abundance of starting pitching.  On Thursday night they got 5 strong innings from Kenta Maeda and another 4 solid innings from Hyun-Jin Ryu to beat the Cardinals 7-3.  The Dodgers took two out of three from the Cardinals during their 3-game set.

Maeda (4-2) picked up the win after giving up just 3 runs on 7 hits.  He struck out 4 and walked 2, while throwing 78 pitches.  Maeda also delivered a 2-run single during a 3-run 4th inning that saw the Dodgers take the lead for good, after the Cardinals had jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Ryu was convinced by skipper Dave Roberts to come out of the bullpen.  He reluctantly agreed, but pitched very well in his first stint.  He allowed just 2 hits while pitching 4 shutout innings.  That effort earned him his 1st career save.

The Cards got 3 in the 1st inning after Jedd Gyorko hit a 2-run double, followed by a Yadier Molina RBI single.

Michal Wacha (2-2) took the loss after giving up 6 runs on 7 hits.  He lasted only 4 innings before giving way to the St. Louis bullpen.

LA began their comeback in the 2nd inning when Chase Utley connected on a solo homer to right center field.  Yasiel Puig added an RBI single in the 4th, followed by Maeda’s 2 RBI.

A wild pitch from Brett Cecil in the 5th allowed another Dodger run, making it 5-3.  Adrian Gonzales and Chris Taylor would each provide an RBI double later on, which rounded out the scoring.

Up next for the Dodgers will be a 3-game weekend set with the Cubs at the Ravine beginning Friday night.  Alex Wood (5-0, 1.88 ERA) gets the ball for the boys in blue, while the Cubs counter with Jake Arrieta (5-3, 4.80 ERA).

May 24, 2017

Mike Leake gave up 1 run in 8 innings of work, as the Cardinals hammered the Dodgers 6-1 at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night.

Leake (5-2) got the win after allowing just four hits, striking out five, while not walking a batter.  He has a National League-leading 1.91 ERA.

“He’s got a lot of movement on his ball,” Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger said. “He was hitting his spots. He has been effective all year, and he has got a good thing going. We just didn’t execute well tonight.”

Jedd Gyorkoa had three hits and scored a run in the 2-run second inning that gave the Cards the lead for good.

Rich Hill (1-2) took the loss in four innings of work.  He gave up 5 runs on 4 hits.   He walked 7 and struck out 4, while throwing 82 pitches.

“It was a bad outing. It was terrible,” Hill said. “I accept full responsibility for that. I just gave them the game. That is unacceptable.”

Kolten Wong delivered a 2-run single in the 2nd inning to give the Cardinals a quick 2-0 lead.  Gyorko added another 2-run single in the 5th, aided by a throwing error from Bellinger.  Yadier Molina would add a sac fly, and then connect on a solo homer in the 7th to make it 6-0.

The only Dodger run of the game came on a sacrifice fly by Bellinger in the 7th inning.  LA couldn’t get much going offensively.

Chris Taylor started in center field for the Dodgers, replacing the injured Joc Pederson.  Pederson collided with Yasiel Puig the night before, and is being monitored for concussion symptoms.

The Dodgers and Cardinals will be back at it on Thursday night in the rubber game of their 3 game set.  Kenta Maeda (3-2, 5.03 ERA) will be on the mound for LA, while Michael Wacha (2-1, 2.74 ERA) gets the ball for St. Louis.

May 23, 2017

Logan Forsythe delivered a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 13th inning, as the Dodgers outlasted the Cardinals 2-1 on Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.

With two outs in the 13th, Kike Hernandez walked, setting the stage for Forsythe.  The Dodger 2nd baseman drove a 1-1 pitch into the right field corner, which bounced off the wall, allowing Hernandez to come all the way around to score the winning run from 1st base.

The game was a great duel between Clayton Kershaw and Cardinals’ starter Lance Lynn, resulting in a 1-1 draw between both sides after 9 innings.  Neither pitcher received a decision.

Kershaw pitched 9 innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits.  However, he took a 1-0 lead into the 9th inning when Randal Grichuk lead-off with a single to center.  Grichuk advanced to second on a groundout from Tommy Pham, then scored on a wild pitch that Kershaw uncorked.  That was Kershaw’s only blemish in an otherwise brilliant performance.

The Dodgers’ ace threw 104 pitches.  He didn’t walk anybody and struck out 10.   It was the 53rd time that he has struck out 10 or more batters in a game.

The Dodgers’ only other run of the game came on a solo homer from Yasmani Grandal in the 1st inning.  That was one of only two hits that Lynn would allow on the night.  It just so happened that one of them went 418 feet.

Grandal has at least one extra-base hit in 10 of his last 13 games.  In one of those 3 games without, he had 1 at-bat as a pinch-hitter.  The homer was his 5th of the season.

Lynn was equally as brilliant as Kershaw.  The Cardinals’ ace went 8 innings, giving up just the 1 run on 2 hits.  He struck out 10 Dodgers and walked 2, while making 123 pitches.

With Kenley Jansen pitching the 10th inning, he retired the side in order, however, a scary moment occurred on the final out of the inning.  Yadier Molina hit a fly ball to deep right, which was chased down by both Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson.  Puig caught the ball but collided with Pederson, who took an elbow to the head.  Pederson also slid into the wall, cutting his forehead and then leaving the game after that.  He was replaced by Kike Hernandez.  Puig stayed in the game, despite grimacing and grabbing his side after the collision.

Forsythe’s heroics came on the night he returned to the lineup for the boys in blue after missing the last 30 games with a toe injury.  He started at 3rd in place of the injured Justin Turner, who was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury.  Forsythe batted lead-off and struck out 4 times and walked once before coming through in the 13th.  Yasiel Puig also returned to the lineup and started in right field after sitting out for two games with a back injury.  He was hitless in five at-bats.

Game 2 of the series will be on Wednesday night at the Ravine.  Rich Hill (1-1; 2.77 ERA) goes to the mound for LA, while Mike Leake (4-2; 2.03 ERA) gets the call for the Cardinals.

May 21, 2017

Adrian Gonzales had 3 hits and drove in 3 runs, as the Dodgers defeated the Marlins 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chavez Ravine.  LA took 3 out of 4 from Miami during their weekend series.

Brandon McCarthy retired the first 14 batters he faced, and allowed just 1 run in 6 innings of work to improve his record to 4-1 on the season.  He attributed his success to finally being healthy.

“A lot of it is just focus and getting reset after two years of being up and down and all over the place,” McCarthy said. “I had a healthy offseason where I could focus on myself and pitching again instead of just focusing on my arm. I kind of brought back the me that I would like to be. I’ll just try to hold that through the season.”

Yasmani Grandal added three hits, including a pair of doubles for the boys in blue.  Joc Pederson had a solo homer in the 4th as well.

Vance Worley (0-1) made his Marlins debut but took the loss.  He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings of work.

The Dodgers grabbed a 3-0 lead by the 4th inning after a 2-run double from Gonzales and Pederson’s homer.

Gonzalez was 1 for 8 in his first two games back but was back on track on Sunday.  “That’s what I pride myself in,” he said of driving in runs. “It’s not like I’m putting more responsibility. It’s just what I try to do.”

Former Dodger A.J. Ellis put the Marlins on the board in the 5th with an RBI single.

However, Gonzales’ countered with an RBI single just half an inning later to make it 4-1.  Brett Eibner  had a pinch-hit 2-run single in the 6th, and that was all the offense the Dodgers needed.

The Marlins managed to get a couple of runs in the 8th and 9th inning off of Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen.  Justin Bour hit a solo blast off of Jansen.

Yasiel Puig was held out of the line with a back injury for the second straight day.  He pinch hit in the eighth and struck out.

The Dodgers will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Cardinals, in the first game of a 3-game set.  Clayton Kershaw (7-2; 2.15 ERA) will try to keep LA rolling while the Cardinals will go with Lance Lynn (4-2; 2.78 ERA).

May 20, 2017

Giancarlo Stanton had 3 doubles and 3 RBI, as the Marlins took down the Dodgers 10-6 on Saturday night at Chavez Ravine.

It was a rough start for Dodger pitcher Julio Urias (0-2), who gave up 7 runs (6 earned) on 7 hits in just 2 1/3 innings of work.  He took the loss, while walking 3 batters, and throwing only 71 pitches.

J.T. Riddle also had 3 hits for Miami, including a homer and 4 runs batted in.  The Marlins came into the game losers of 10 of their last 11 games.

Dan Straily (2-3) picked up the win and gave the Dodgers a lot of trouble in the early going.  He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits.  He struck out 8 batters, and walked 3.

The Dodgers did not generate a hit off of Straily until the 5th inning, when Kike Hernandez connected on a solo homer with two outs in the 5th.  At that point the Dodgers trailed 10-1.

LA would try to rally over the next two innings.  An RBI double from Yasmani Grandal in the 6th, along with home runs from Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger in the 7th got the Dodgers within 4 runs.  However, that’s as close as they would come.

Even the Dodger bullpen, which is usually reliable, gave up 3 runs in an extended 7+ innings of work on the night.

Bellinger became the fastest Dodger to hit 9 home runs in franchise history.  It took the rookie just 24 games.  His teammate Yasiel Puig took 44 games to hit 9 home runs in 2013.

Puig was held out of the lineup on Saturday as a precautionary measure after tweaking his side during an at-bat on Friday.

The Dodgers will try to make it 3 out of 4 against the Marlins in the series finale on Sunday at the Ravine.  Brandon McCarthy (3-1; 4.15 ERA) will be on the mound for LA, while the Marlins go with Vance Worley, who will be making his Marlins debut after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.