Los Angeles Dodgers outclass Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 – MLB Update
Los Angeles Dodgers outclassed Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, April 10 in their regular season encounter of the 2012 Major League Baseball.
The win will be of great significance for the Dodgers who have been executing their strategies to perfection since the start of the regular season. With four wins in five games, the Dodgers have now an impressive 4-1 record.
Andre Ethier had a great time on the plate. On his birthday, he played a key role in deciding the outcome of the clash. The fans in the right field started to sing his name midway through Dodgers’ opener. Ethier did not disappoint his fans either as he hit a tie breaking home run with two outs in the eighth inning to help his team secure a crucial win.
Matt Kemp drove in a run in Los Angeles’ record tying ninth straight game with a first inning groundout. Clayton Kershaw pitched with great control and accuracy to keep his team in the game. Allowing just four hits and striking out seven, Kershaw bounced back strongly from his poor start last week in San Diego.
"Even in camp, these guys were fired up about what we thought we could do," Manager Don Mattingly said. "It seems like we're going to be in a lot of close games this season, no matter what. We're going to have to get big hits and big outs when we need them."
"Everybody is excited about what's going on right now, and rightfully so," said Ethier. "The vibe in this stadium today, that's an addicting feeling. We had that for several years here, and then it went away, and part of that was how we were playing on the field."
The Dodgers will be a bit disappointed with the fact they were unable to capitalise on the strong start provided by Kershaw, who pitched seven strong innings. Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra also made useful contributions. Jansen showed what he is capable of in the eighth inning and Guerra pitched in ninth for his third save of the season.
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