Recap: Justin Upton’s Home Run In 8th Ends Dodgers’ Winning Streak
One night after surviving a late blunder to push their winning streak to four games, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Zack Greinke to the mound to square off with Ian Kennedy, who historically hasn’t fared well against Los Angeles.
For a second consecutive night Joc Pederson led the game off by reaching on a hit by pitch. After Kennedy got Yasiel Puig to fly out, Adrian Gonzalez hit a chopper right to Wil Myers, who was even with the bag by virtue of holding Pederson on. Myers stepped on first and easily caught Pederson in a rundown to end the inning after the rookie center fielder’s first step mistakingly was back to first base.
Will Venable hit a hustle double to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the second. He then moved to third base on Justin Upton’s grounder to the right side of the infield and scored one batter later. Matt Kemp hit a slow roller up the third base line that Greinke fielded cleanly, but threw wide of first base.
Kemp took an extra base on the error and could’ve had more if it weren’t for Andre Ethier backing up the play as Puig’s picked up the ball in foul territory and fired it to second base where no Dodger was standing. Justin Turner hit a one-out single in the second inning, but was soon after thrown out on a ball Derek Norris short-hopped at the plate.
Greinke retired the side in order in the bottom of the second, keeping the Dodgers deficit at 1-0. While Kennedy got through the first two innings unscathed, Yasmani Grandal tied the game with a solo home run to leadoff the third. Pederson later hit a two-out single, but the Dodgers wouldn’t make anything of it.
Similarly, Myers hit a one-out single in the bottom of the third, though Greinke otherwise struck out the side.
CONTINUE READING: Greinke Throws 8 Innings, Dodgers Strugle At The Plate
