Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — It’s good to be home. After really scuffling at the tail end of their road trip, losing two of three to the lowly D-backs, the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium must have been a sight for sore eyes for the team. And, it didn’t hurt that the Dodgers got to play the struggling Detroit Tigers in their return to LA. They scored early and often on the Tigers, and rode a nice five-inning start from Tyler Anderson to a 5-1 home win to reclaim their position atop the NL West.
JT, CT3 get first dingers of the year
Helping matters was the fact that the Dodgers got some early pop from two guys who haven’t shown much power this year: Justin Turner and Chris Taylor. In the bottom of the first, JT put a nice swing on a pitch from Tiger starter Tyler Alexander with a man on first. It just did clear the right field fence, landing in the first row in the pavilion for Turner’s first home run of the year. We were five batters into the game and the Dodgers already had all the runs they would need in this one.
Unlike the first couple weeks of the season, the Dodgers didn’t just rely on one big inning in this one, scoring in each of the first four frames of the ballgame. In the second, Chris Taylor obliterated another Alexander pitch for a no-doubt solo shot to right field. Then in the third, Trea Turner hit a sacrifice fly that scored Mookie Betts from third. Finally, in the fourth the Dodgers plated their fifth run of the game when Betts managed to squirt a ball through the left side of the infield for a run-scoring single.
The offense didn’t do much after that, but it was good to see production up and down the lineup in this one, and the Dodgers certainly made the most of their six hits.
Great night for Anderson and the pen
Meanwhile, the Dodger pitching staff continues to be the best in baseball. They got a solid start from Tyler Anderson, making his second appearance in the rotation in place of the injured Andrew Heaney. Anderson was hitting his spots and varying his velocity for much of the night. He got into a little trouble in the third when he surrendered a single run on a Javier Baez RBI single, but other than that inning, the Motowners didn’t lay a glove on him. His line for the night: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 K.
Plus, it was another terrific night for the Dodger bullpen. Other than a scratch single in the infield off Reyes Moronta in the ninth, the pen was perfect on Friday. Evan Phillips went 1-2-3 in the sixth, Phil Bickford did the same in the seventh, and Brusdar Graterol followed suit in the eighth. To say the Tigers went quietly in this one is an understatement. After Moronta got a double play and a nifty put-out from Gavin Lux in the ninth, the game was over and the Dodgers had climbed back into first place in the division.
Kershaw goes for the record on Saturday
Now 13-6, the Dodgers continue the series against the Tigers on Saturday with a much anticipated pitching performance. Unless something completely unexpected happens, this should be the night in which Clayton Kershaw finally surpasses Don Sutton as the Dodgers’ all-time strikeout leader. At game time, he sits just three behind Sutton’s record, trailing 2,696 – 2,693. By the time the night is over, Kersh should be in sole possession of first place. Get that ball for the trophy case, Clayton. There aren’t going to be many more Dodger records left to break after this one. Game time 7:10 pm. Righty Beau Brieske will get the ball for the Tigers.
Cans of Corn…
- Cody Bellinger made two insanely good plays in centerfield in this one, showing that his value goes far beyond his offensive output.
- Gavin Lux got a hit and looked much better in the field after a rough couple of days in Arizona.
- Evan Phillips continues to be lights out on the mound. Biggest surprise out of the bullpen this year.
- Trea Turner got a walk in the seventh inning to extend his on-base streak to 38 games, by far the longest active streak in the majors.
- Before the game Brusdar Graterol got the chance to catch up with fellow Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera, the newest member of the 3,000 hit club.
- Kirk Gibson bobblehead night tomorrow. Very appropriate in a game against the Tigers, the team that Gibson had the biggest impact on in his career.
