Jim Cella
HOUSTON—The Dodgers used a 5-run, fifth inning and the intensity of reliever Joe Kelly to beat Houston 5-2 in the opening game of a 2-game series on Tuesday. Los Angeles scored five runs on five hits and two walks in the decisive fifth as they put the brakes on a 2-game losing skid. Kelly was the spark plug for a bullpen that pitched 5.1 scoreless innings and allowed only one hit. The Dodgers improve to 3-2 on the year.
GAME RECAP: The Dodgers fell behind for the third straight game as Houston scored single runs in the second and fourth to grab a 2-0 lead. Los Angeles then sent 10 men to the plate in the fifth to claim a 5-2 advantage. Walker Buehler got his start of the year and went the 3.2 innings. He gave way in the bottom of the fourth after yielding a 2-out RBI single to Carlos Correa. Adam Kolarek, the first of six relievers in the game for LA, came on with runners on first and second and proceeded to throw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third but then got former Dodger Josh Reddick to line out to shortstop to end the inning.
The Dodgers outhit the Astros 10-4 in the game. Houston only had one hit after the fourth inning – and that was a meaningless double with two outs in the ninth.
SERIES STUFF: Los Angeles now leads the overall series with Houston 390-325. The Dodgers have won two straight against the Astros dating back to their lone series in August of 2018. LA is now 20-24 at Minute Maid Park and 197-198 in interleague play.
BE LIKE BRUSDAR: Brusdar Graterol earned his first win in Dodger Blue, and second career victory, after striking out two in a perfect fifth inning. Graterol threw 18 pitches in the inning, 12 were for strikes and six hit the 100-mph mark on the radar gun. He showed off a sinker/slider mix to go with his blazing heat that made the Astros’ batters look extremely uncomfortable.
KELLY LIGHTS THE FUSE: Credit Joe Kelly for being the first player of the year get into the kitchen of the Astros. Kelly entered the game in the sixth inning and struggled with his command after getting Jose Altuve to pop out to short to lead off the frame. Kelly then walked Alex Bregman on a 4-seam fastball that sailed over Bregman’s head. Bregman proceeded to stare intently towards Kelly as he left the batter’s box to head to first base. Things escalated even farther on the next at-bat when Michael Brantley accidentally spiked Kelly while Kelly was covering first base on a 3-1 putout and the two exchanged words as they walked away from the bag. Kelly couldn’t find the plate on the next at-bat and gave up a walk to Yuli Gurriel which set up a confrontation with Correa. Kelly continued to miss the plate on the first two pitches of the AB. He pushed the runners to second and third on a wild pitch on the second pitch which started to get Correa’s blood pressure to rise. Kelly then delivered one of his best pitches of the night as he threw a 2-0 curve that got Correa to swing wildly and miss. After a pair of foul balls, Kelly finished off the strikeout by getting Correa to fish on another curve out of the zone. As Kelly was walking off the mound after the inning he looked at Correa and stuck out his bottom lip in a “pouty” gesture. Correa took exception and the two started to chirp at one another. The confrontation would escalate to the benches clearing but it wouldn’t go any farther. The teams never engaged as social distance rules got the better of both teams.
HE SAID IT: “I don’t remember the words. I guess my expression was what I interpreted in my head he was saying.” — Joe Kelly when asked about what happened as he was leaving the mound.
HE SAID IT 2: “What really enraged everybody was what he told Carlos [Correa] when he struck him out, “Nice swing bitch!”—Astros manager Dusty Baker on the exchange between Kelly and Correa.
PIVOTAL PLAY: One of the biggest plays of the game came with one out in the Dodgers’ 5-run fifth inning. Trailing 2-0, Los Angeles started the frame by loading the bases but then Will Smith lined out to right field which kept Corey Seager from tagging up. Mookie Betts walked to cut the lead to 2-1 before Max Muncy hit a slow grounder to short. Bregman, who had shifted over to the shortstop position, fielded the ball and threw a 1-hopper to catcher Martin Maldonado for an apparent force out at home for the second out. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Maldonado dropped the easily pickable ball which allowed A.J. Pollock to score and started a string of four key runs.
HIGH FIVE: Justin Turner was one of six Dodgers to collect hits on the night. His single to right field after the critical error by the Astros in the fifth scored Kiké Hernández and proved to be the game-winning RBI as it gave LA a 3-2 lead. Turner went 1-for-4 in the game and is now hitting .421 for the year. It was also his fifth RBI of the season which ties him for the team lead with Hernández. Turner now has 991 career hits and needs nine more to reach the 1,000-hit mark.
SETTLING IN: Mookie Betts picked up his first multiple-hit game in a Dodger uniform. He also recorded his first extra-base knock. Betts went 2-for-4 in the series opener and had a 2-out double to left field in the eighth inning. Betts has now hit safely in four of the five games this year.
POLLOCK PRODUCES: A.J. Pollock had his most productive game at the plate for the Dodgers since last season when he went 4-for-6 with 3 RBI in the second game of the year vs. Arizona. Pollock led all hitters for LA on Tuesday by going 3-for-5. Pollock has at least one hit in all three games he has played this season and is hitting .455 in 11 at-bats.
3.2 BUT NOT 4.0: Buehler looked to be in mid-season form through the first 3.2 innings of play. He started the game by retiring the first five batters he faced. His lone mistake in the first three innings came when he hung a breaking ball to Correa who lined it over the left field wall. Buehler then mixed up his pitches and retired the next six batter to get to two outs in the fourth. Unfortunately, his lack of stamina from not having pitched in a game in the summer camp caught up to him as he gave up a single, a walk and then another single which forced manager Dave Roberts to make the change to Kolarek. Buehler final stat line was: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K.
SMALL BALL: For the second straight game the Dodgers were held to one extra base hit – and in both games it has been a late-inning double. Los Angeles has only four home runs in their first five games in 2020. LA owns a .447 slugging percentage which is sixth best in the NL and 11th highest in MLB.
SMALL BUT EFFICIENT: While the Dodgers are lacking in the long ball this year, they are making up for it in hitting for average and doubles. Los Angeles currently leads MLB in both average and doublescategories. The Dodgers are hitting .291 for the season and have 10 doubles as a team.
THIS DAY IN DODGER HISTORY:
1991 – Montreal pitcher Dennis Martinez throws a perfect game against the Dodgers in a 2-0 Expos’ victory at Dodger Stadium. It is the first perfect game thrown by an opposing pitcher in Dodger Stadium, and only the second overall. Sandy Koufax tossed the very first perfecto at Chavez Ravine on Sept. 9, 1965.
ON DECK: The Dodgers will finish off the 2-game series with the Astros with an afternoon contest on Wednesday. The series finale will start at 4:10 p.m. with Dustin May scheduled to start for Los Angeles. May pitched in the opener and went 4.1 innings, threw 60 pitches, allowed only one earned run and struck out four. May has never faced the Astros but has pitched in a pair of interleague games last season (Baltimore, Tampa Bay). He didn’t allow a run in four innings of work in those two contests. Houston, which originally had Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander penciled in as the Game 2 starter before Verlander came down with a forearm injury, is slated to throw rookie Christian Javier whose only appearance in an MLB game came on Saturday when he threw one scoreless inning against Seattle.
IN THE HOLE: Los Angeles will travel to Arizona to start a 4-game series starting on Wednesday. The Dodgers will then head to San Diego to complete their 9-game road trip.
