Recap: Cubs Put Game Under Protest, Beat Dodgers With Long Ball
Wood and Kershaw both retired the sides in order in the fourth. Hernandez drew a one-out walk in the fifth, but the inning came to an end on a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play to end the inning with Ellis going down swinging struck out after Hernandez walked.
Kershaw struck out Wood swinging for the first out in the bottom of the fifth and ended the inning by getting Chris Coghlan, who pinch-hit for Dexter Fowler, looking at strike three. The strikeout was Kershaw’s seventh of the game and the Dodgers continued to trail 2-1.
Puig knocked a one-out single to center field in the sixth and it prompted Cubs manager Joe Maddon to bring in James Russell from of the bullpen. Pederson worked a full count, only to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Rizzo popped up in front of the plate, which forced Kershaw to come running in for the catch as Ellis immediately lost it in the sky. With Bryant coming up to the plate multiple lights at Wrigley Field went out.
It caused a 10-minute as Maddon strategically argued with the umpires before eventually putting the game under protest. Kershaw grew agitated with the delay, threw warmup pitches, and walked Bryant to put a runner on with one out once play resumed. Nothing came of it as Starlin Castro grounded into a force out and Chris Denorfia grounded to third to end the inning.
Pedro Strop took over for the Cubs in the seventh, didn’t throw many pitches in the strike zone, but got through the inning with only a one-out walk issued. Kershaw returned to the mound in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff home run to Matt Szczur that extended the Cubs’ lead to 3-1.
With the expected rain falling, Hector Rendon retired the side in order in the eighth, which included pinch-hitters Yasmani Grandal and Alex Guerrero. Adam Liberatore recorded two outs in the eighth, then was lifted after giving up a solo home run to Bryant.
Yimi Garcia then recorded the final out of the inning. Pederson crushed a one-out solo home run in the ninth off Jason Motte and Gonzalez hit a two-out single. However Howie Kendrick, representing the tying run, failed to extend the inning and the Dodgers lost the opener of their 10-game road trip, 4-2.
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