The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, the best team in baseball (38-15, .717 before today’s game).
The Dodgers defeated the Rays, 6-5, on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. With the win, the Dodgers improved to 32-21 on the season, snapping a two-game losing streak and maintaining their lead in the National League West.
The Dodgers started Mookie Betts (right field), Freddie Freeman (first base), Will Smith (catcher), JD Martinez (designated hitter), Max Muncy (third base), Jason Heyward (center field), Miguel Vargas (second base), David Peralta (left field), Miguel Rojas (shortstop), and starter Clayton Kershaw.
Tampa Bay countered with Yandy Dias (first base), Wander Franco (shortstop), Harold Ramirez (designated hitter), Randy Arosarena (left field), Isaac Paredes (third base), Christian Betancourt (catcher), Manuel Margot (right field), Taylor Walls (second base), Jose Ciri (center field), and starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
The Dodgers struck first in the second inning. Muncy took a four-seam fastball from Glasnow two batters later for a solo shot to right-center for a 1-0 lead.
The teams traded two runs in the fourth inning. The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Muncy’s RBI double with two outs. Two batters later, a wild pitch allowed Muncy to score from third to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Mago doubled with runners on first and third to cut the lead to 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, he gave up a two-run homer to Ramirez to cut the lead to 3-4.
Muncy led the Dodgers offense in the first half of the game.
The Dodgers turned things around in the top of the seventh inning. Betts singled with one out to tie the game at 4-4. Betts then stole second base on a wild pitch, and Freeman followed with an RBI double to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Two batters later in the eighth, Vargas hit a solo shot to left-center field to make it 6-4.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, Franco gave up a single to center, but the Dodgers were able to hold on for a 6-5 victory.
For the Dodgers, Kershaw allowed four runs on six hits (one homer) with two walks and six strikeouts in five innings. He’s been a bit shaky of late, failing to record a quality start (six innings or less) in three straight games dating back to July 17 against the Minnesota Twins.메이저사이트
At the plate, Freeman hit a game-winning home run, while Muncy also provided a spark offensively with a multi-homer game and two RBIs.
On the other side of the ball, Tampa Bay got a solid outing from Glasnow, who returned from injury to give up three runs on five hits (one homer) in 4 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Ramirez’s home run put him over the 100-homer plateau for the first time this season, but it was overshadowed by the team’s loss.