Minor events can shift tides in a major way in an intense pennant race, as the Los Angeles Dodgers demonstrated Sunday.
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“The Cubs are very good in the first inning”, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s why we play the game to succeed at this level, I’m very blessed”.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer and Kelly Johnson had a pinch-hit grand slam for the Mets, who have won six of seven to close within 2-1/2 games of the last NL wildcard. Yet Roberts believes the difference between that Dodgers squad and the team that won this weekend’s series against Chicago can not be measured by months. “The way our guys have come together, the focus, the attention to detail are completely different”.
Right-hander Joe Blanton (5-2) received the victory in relief. In his lone inning of work, Blanton conceded just one hit while facing four batters.
CHICAGO – Jose Abreu hit the first of Chicago’s four runs, and Jose Quintana threw 7 2/3 solid innings in the White Sox’s victory over Seattle.
Stewart was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday after being optioned to the Minors on August 15. “I’ve started feeling re-energized, filled with a sense of objective as to why I’ve been placed here and why this is where I need to be at this time, so I’m excited about that. He was throwing his fastball, slider and change pitches with conviction”. “It was a lot of fun”.
Jon Lester: Six shutout innings.
Mets 12, Phillies 1: Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer, Kelly Johnson had a pinch-hit grand slam and Noah Syndergaard pitched two-hit ball over seven innings for NY.
“Any time you’re upset with a winning trip, then you’re really losing sight”, manager Joe Maddon said. But we made the mistake.
“They’ve been so loud that if we turned our backs to the crowd”, Maddon said, “we couldn’t tell if it was a home game or an away game”. First, on a slow bouncer up the third base line by Howie Kendrick, pitcher Trevor Cahill uncorked an errant throw to first base that instead went down the right field line, putting two runners in scoring position. With one out, Cahill hit pinch-hitter Toles.
Nolan Arenado went 4-for-4, including his 35th home run and a triple, and drove in three runs as the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Sunday. Coles took third base on the play, with Kendrick going to second. Seager has hit safely in 17 of the last 18 games. But Seager slid safely before Zobrist could touch second base, and Toles scored. Maddon requested a video review but it confirmed second-base umpire Alfonzo Marquez’s call.
This game resembled other Cubs-Dodgers games of the past when the Dodgers pitching just edged out the Cubs and the Cubs would lose by one or two runs. He can’t get there in time.
Javy makes the hard plays look easy. That put the go-ahead run on base with one out. Their best shot to score while Lester was still in the game was in the top of the sixth – the inning where two of the bad calls above happened.
For almost three hours the Dodgers and Cubs were deadlocked in a scoreless tie before a routine ground ball could have altered the destiny of the National League West. Kris Bryant began the inning with a double to right-center field and moved to third on Anthony Rizzo’s ground out before Zobrist walked. He’s on the DL with right wrist irritation after being out almost two months earlier in the season with low back irritation.
Pedroia’s streak, which stretched over three games, ended in the eighth inning.
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But the current series was never really about the Cubs proving themselves; it was more about seeing where the resurgent Dodgers stacked up against the league’s best club. Kershaw has been on the disabled list since June 30 because of a herniated disc. Los Angeles SS Corey Seager has a chance to become the first rookie since Hall of Famer Ross Barnes in 1876 to finish the season leading or sharing first place in the National League in hits and doubles, according to STATS, LLC. Kenta Maeda is expected to be recalled from Arizona and start at 5:40 PM PST.
