Game Recap: Ethier & Guerrero Homer, Dodgers Win On Kendrick Walk-Off
Juan Nicasio took over for the Dodgers in the fifth and issued back-to-back walks. After striking out Zunino, Nicasio issued his third walk of the inning and loaded the bases. He induced a groundout, but Rollins’ only play was at first base and the Mariners scored a run to increase their lead to 5-3 before Nicasio could get out of the inning.
Kendrick fouled off multiple pitches and ended his at-bat by drawing a two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth. Grandal drove one to right field but it was nothing more than a loud out and the Dodgers continued to trail, 5-3.
Cano put the Mariners on the verge of extending their lead in the sixth inning with a two-out double off the center field wall, but Nicasio managed to solve Cruz and struck the slugger out to end the threat. Andre Ethier hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth that pulled the Dodgers within a run at 5-4, and ended Iwakuma’s night.
Carson Smith entered the game and worked around a two-out error that allowed Nicasio to reach base. J.P. Howell was on the mound in the seventh, but it didn’t make a difference for Seager, who again beat the shift with a single to left.
Howell struck out the next two batters before allowing another base hit and getting lifted from the game. Chris Hatcher was called on out of the bullpen and the Mariners countered with Seth Smith, who notoriously has hit well against the Dodgers.
However, it was Hatcher who won the battle as Smith struck out swinging. Left-hander Charlie Furbush gave up consecutive singles to Crawford and Gonzalez, and then turned the ball over to Yoervis Medina. He got Kendrick to strike out and Grandal hit into an inning-ending double play, which kept the Mariners ahead by one run.
Hatcher threw a second scoreless inning of relief in the eighth, though the Dodgers offense did little in the bottom of the inning. Fernando Rodney came on to close the game in the ninth, but promptly gave up consecutive singles to Turner and Rollins that put runners on the corners with no outs.
Crawford grounded to third and with Seager playing on the grass, he caught Turner in a rundown for the first out. Gonzalez walked to load the bases and Kendrick delivered the Dodgers’ second walk-off win in as many nights with a two-run single that also translated to a second straight 6-5 final score.
[divide]Yasmani Grandal Defends Dodgers Bullpen
