Dodgers Recap: Wrobleski has another dominant outing as Dodgers take rubber match in KC

KANSAS CITY — A rain delay of one hour and twenty minutes slowed the start of the rubber match at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, with tarps covering the field, but once the game got rolling, so did the Dodgers. The lower half of the lineup carried the offense as the top struggled, and Justin Wrobleski delivered another gem to secure the series win against the Royals with a 5-1 win.

The Royals struck first, picking up where they left off Saturday. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled on a line drive to left off opener Lou Trivino, scoring Jonathan India in the first inning. Fortunately, that was the only run they managed in the frame.

After battling Royals starter Kris Bubic, Andy Pages notched the Dodgers’ first hit with a line-drive single up the middle in the second. Enrique Hernández then gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer over the left-center field wall. Miguel Rojas kept the inning alive with a single up the middle, but Shohei Ohtani stranded him with a flyout to center. The Dodgers’ offense forced Bubic to throw 56 pitches in just two innings. After five innings, Bubic was out, leaving the visitors to feast on the Kansas City bullpen.

In the sixth, Will Smith extended the lead with a solo home run to dead center, his fourth in nine games, giving the Dodgers some breathing room as the game moved into the late innings.

In the seventh, Andy Pages led off with a stand-up double down the left-field line. Max Muncy followed, crushing the first pitch he saw from new reliever Angel Zerpa for an RBI double to left center. Miguel Rojas added his second hit, an RBI grounder scoring Muncy, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 cushion. However, Rojas exited after jamming his left index finger sliding into second after a pitch got away from catcher Freddy Fermin.

The production from the bottom of the order was great, but the story of the day was justin Wrobleski. He attacked the strike zone all day, giving Royals hitters fits. His day ended after six scoreless innings, with an impressive line: 83 pitches (58 strikes), 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, and 8 swinging strikes. Kirby Yates handled the eighth, and Jack Dreyer closed out the ninth, sealing the victory.

The Dodgers head home for an off-day Monday before facing the White Sox on Tuesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound at 7:10 PM PST, live on SportsNet LA.

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