Dodgers Drop Road Trip Opener To Cubs, 4-2
- Updated: June 22, 2015
(Photo via Twitter User @BBTN)
The Los Angeles Dodgers started their 10-game road trip with a loss against a young and promising Chicago Cubs team in a four-game series. The Dodger bats cooled off while Clayton Kershaw took the mound on his 15th start of the year – but suffered his fifth loss, giving up two home runs.
After an offensive outburst yesterday against the division rival Giants, the Dodgers looked to stay hot at the plate and on the mound.
The Dodgers took the lead in the 3rd inning, a lead off home run by Kike Hernandez – his third on the year. A.J. Ellis followed with a single but Clayton Kershaw bunted into a double play.
Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada left the game shortly afterwards due to an apparent injury. It was later announced that he had cramps in his left shoulder. Adam Wood took the mound in relief.
The Cubs would answer back shortly – hot-hitting rookie Kris Bryant blasted a 2-run opposite-field homer off Kershaw to give the Cubs the lead.
Yasiel Puig looked to start a rally for the Dodgers in the 6th inning, ripping a single to center field with one out but Joc Pederson grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, the game went on a strange delay due to an issue with the lights at the new-look Wrigley Field. The game went on to continue under protest. Kershaw, who was angered by the unreasonable delay, went on to pitch a scoreless inning.
The Cubs extended their lead in the 7th inning with a leadoff home run by Matt Szczur. Kershaw went on to retire the next three batters.
After another quiet inning for the Dodger offense, Kris Bryant made quite a noise – hitting his 2nd home run of the night off Adam Liberatore, who gave up his first home run on the year.
With one out in the ninth inning, Joc Pederson swung on the first pitch and drove it to right-center field for his 19th home run on the year. Adrian Gonzalez kept the Dodgers alive with a two-out single, but Howie Kendrick grounded out to second base and the Dodgers went on to drop the series opener, 4-2.
Clayton Kershaw gave up his 10th and 11th homer of the year on 15 starts; he gave all but nine in his 27 starts last season. He ended the night with the stat line: 7 IP, 4H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K with a 3.33 ERA. The loss drops his record to 5-5 on the year.
Coming into the game, Yasiel Puig is batting .536 (15-for-28) at Wrigley Field with three doubles, two homers and six RBIs. He went 1-3 tonight with a single.
Kris Bryant hit two home runs tonight, his first multi-homer game of his young Major League career. Dodgers pitching will look to slow him down in the next three games of the series.
The Dodgers will be back at Wrigley Field tomorrow, 5:05 PM PST. Zack Greinke (5-2) will be on the mound to face Jason Hammel (5-2).
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