Hiroki Kuroda shines as Los Angele Dodgers defeat Houston Astros 7-0 – MLB Update
Hiroki Kuroda put in a brilliant performance as he tossed seven shutout innings to help the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Houston Astros 7-0 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, August 14.
The veteran hurler struck-out six batters and consumed only five hits over seven innings extended to 106 pitches. The Japanese native right-hand ball thrower earned his eighth win to improve to an 8-14 record with 2.88 ERA in 24 starts of 2011 regular season.
"I'm not really used to having this many runs. I'd much rather has it than not have it, but my approach to pitching isn't any different," Kuroda said through a translator. "I'm a starting pitcher, and I want to keep the game close. So the fewer home runs
I give up the better, but it's not because of a lack of run support."
Catcher Dioner Navarro provided a perfect back up to Kuroda with his ballistic 399-feet long two-run homer off the Astros’ struggling starter Jordan Lyles in the second inning to get a 2-0 lead . Then the Dodgers top slugger Matt Kemp launched a 404-feet
long one-run homer to elevate the lead to 3-0 in the third inning.
Lyles encountered in the fourth and the fifth inning but he failed to carry his form in the sixth inning, when Aaron Miles scored an RBI single followed by a devastating homer by rookie hurler, Justin Sellers. It was the maiden game for of the 25-year-old
Sellers, who used to visit Dodger Stadium in his childhood with his parents.
"It was very special, exciting and emotional for me, my family and my friends who have been there supporting me ever since day one," said Sellers.
Sellers’ team-mates became excited, especially Navarro, who sprayed shaving cream on his face while he was giving an interview to a local TV channel.
It was another nightmare game for the Lyles, who has lost seven games and won just one in this season. He allowed seven runs on seven hits and walked three batters over five innings. Although his reliever David Carpenter and closer Aneury Rodriguez tossed
scoreless inning, the Astros could not add anything positive with their bat. Their 83rd loss of the season is the worst ever record for the National League club.
Tags: