Kershaw Strikes Out 10, But Rangers Win 3rd Straight Over Dodgers
Kershaw’s rough night continued in the fourth as Rosales struck out to open the inning, but reached safely as the ball was in the dirt and Ellis failed to locate it in time. Then, instead of picking off Rosales, Kershaw was called for a balk. Rosales came around to score on Odor’s second RBI single of the game that pushed the Rangers’ lead to 4-0.
Ellis hit a two-out double and Kershaw followed with a single to put runners on the corners. The Dodgers again came away empty as Puig worked a full count only to go down swinging. Kershaw retired the Rangers in order in the fifth, throwing just his second scoreless inning of the game.
After Rodriguez put another zero on the board, Kershaw did the same in the sixth. Along the way he struck out Gallo swinging on a fastball in their first meeting since the rookie’s third-inning home run. Turner hit a leadoff single to right in the bottom of the sixth and Van Slyke injected some life into the crowd by following with a two-run home run.
Hernandez extended the Dodgers’ momentum by lining a double down the right field line. Rodriguez briefly slowed Los Angeles by snagging an Ellis line drive hit to his right for the first out in the inning. Alex Guerrero pinch-hit for Kershaw and delivered with an RBI single that pulled the Dodgers within 4-3 and knocked Rodriguez out of the game.
Jon Edwards came on in relief and walked Puig to put two on with one out. With the right-handed Edwards on the mound, Joc Pederson pinch-hit for Heisey. However, the move was countered by left-hander Sam Freeman replacing Edwards.
The matchup broke in the Rangers’ favor as Pederson chased a high fastball to strikeout. Gonzalez then grounded out to first and the Dodgers settled for pulling within one run. J.P. Howell took over for the Dodgers in the seventh and put Odor on base with no outs by hitting him with a pitch.
Odor was erased on a 6-4-3 double play immediately after, and Howell ended a scoreless inning of relief by striking out Leonys Martin. Freeman kept the Dodgers off the bases and scoreboard by retiring them in order in the bottom of the seventh, ending the inning by striking out Van Slyke.
With Jake Smolinski announced as the pinch-hitter for Freeman to lead off the eighth, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly called on Yimi Garcia out of the bullpen. The right-hander struck out Smolinski, allowed a one-out single and got a ground ball out before being lifted.
With a runner on second base Adam Liberatore entered to face Gallo, who struck out looking on a full count. Tanner Scheppers relieved Freeman in the eighth and issued a one-out walk to Yasmani Grandal, who pinch-hit for Ellis.
Andre Ethier pinch-hit for Liberatore and bounced into an inning-ending double play. Fielder extended the Rangers’ lead with a solo home run off Josh Ravin in the ninth. The home run was the second in as many games the Rangers hit off the hard-throwing right-hander.
Keone Kela faced the the top of the Dodgers’ order and converted on the save opportunity. The 5-3 win was the Rangers’ third consecutive over the Dodgers and fifth in their last six games overall.
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