Los Angeles Dodgers defeat San Diego Padres 6-2 in series opener – MLB Update
Los Angeles Dodgers’ batting crushed the San Diego Padres 6-2 in the first outing of the three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday, August 1.
Although the Padres’ first baseman Maybin scored early run for his team in the bottom of the first inning, his starter Cory Luebke struggled during his pitching. In the top of the second inning, Dodgers’ bat awakened in the shape of a game tying RBI single
by James Loney.
Then after an inning delay, catcher Rod Barajas scored a game leading RBI single to left-centre. Dee Gordon and Casey Blake each scored an RBI single to elevate the lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Matt Kemp tripled to deep-left-centre and Rivera hit a sacrifice
fly to increase the lead to 6-2 in the top of the eighth inning.
Dodgers’ unassailable starter Clayton Kershaw, on the other hand kept the Padres under great pressure with his rough sinkers. After a single in the bottom of the first, Kershaw gave away second run on a homer to Orlando Hudson in the seventh inning. He carried
on into the ninth inning and completed the game restricting to two runs on six hits and two walks to get his 13th win of the season. He also made four-strikeouts over 108 pitches to improve his record to 13-4 with 2.68 ERA.
Luebke could not stabilise throughout the game and conceded five runs and ten hits on just over seven innings to bear his sixth loss of the season. He did not allow any walk and punched-out three batters on his spell extended to 101 pitches. His loss dropped
him further to 3-6 with 3.21 ERA this season.
Reliever Ernesto Frieri also yielded one run on one hit and closer Erik Hamren tossed scoreless ninth inning, but until then the Dodgers had marked the game to their name. It was the Dodgers’ 49th win of the season and it was positive start after suffering
humiliating defeats by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the last series.
Tags: