Jeff Birney
Dodgers Split Double-Header; Look to Take Series from Cubs on Wednesday
Blame it on the rain (or thank it, depending on the game.) With Monday night’s scheduled game pushed due to rain and malfunctioning lights at Wrigley Field, the Dodgers and Cubs took a game a-piece in Tuesday’s double-header.
Kenta Maeda took the mound for the day game and showed a lack of command in his 2nd start coming off the DL, getting pulled in the fourth. The bullpen took over and was flawless through 5 1/3 scoreless innings, keeping the game 3-2 in the Cubs favor into the ninth.
Matt Kemp and Dave Roberts were both ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Tripp Gibson, thus some line-up shuffling brought Kyle Farmer up to pinch hit in Kemp’s spot in the ninth.
Is it too cliché to call him Clutch Kyle?
With two on, two outs and the count 2-2 in the ninth, Farmer was the Dodgers last hope. Farmer got hold of a slider from lefty Justin Wilson and smacked it down the third base line and into the corner, which allowed Austin Barnes and Justin Turner to score without a throw.
The Dodgers held tight as Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to get his 18th save of the season.
The Dodgers won the day game, 4-3.
Save for the quality of the Dodger’s starters (Rich Hill was outstanding in his first outing after a stint on the DL,) Tuesday’s evening game was eerily similar with low score and a cadre of stranded baserunners from both teams.
The game went to extras, being tied 1-1 in the seventh. But a walk-off single from Albert Almora Jr. got Kris Bryant home after he tripled off Brock Stewart in the 10th.
The Dodgers lost, 2-1.
The series wraps today in Chicago, 11:20 am, PST.
The Diamondbacks lost to the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, keeping their lead in the NL West to 1.5 games.
