“When I look up and I hit a ball hard over 100 miles per hour, for me that’s what I’m trying to do”.
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The Dodgers went a season-high six games over.
“We play a lot of close ballgames, ” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Grandal gave the Dodgers at least one homer in 12 consecutive games for the first time since May 23-June 4, 2002. So far, I feel like I have been doing a pretty job of that and I look forward to keep doing that. This game is about inches or angles. “I’ve just never been able to get it in the air”. The soonest they will need to add a fifth starter is June 28 at Milwaukee…. Yasiel Puig, appearing in his first game since June 2, singled off the glove of leaping shortstop Danny Espinosa.
Grandal also had the winning RBI on Sunday, when he walked with the bases loaded in the ninth as a pinch-hitter. It will be just the second start over the past two seasons for Petit. “We know what he’s capable of”. Jansen earned his first save by finishing up for Kershaw against the Mets in July 2010, and he broke the record by saving a Kershaw victory for the 33rd time.
Grandal might say bad luck is a factor.
Bryce Harper pounded Kazmir’s 92 miles per hour fastball 378 feet to left field to put the Nationals ahead, 1-0, in the first inning.
Roark (6-5) took the loss for the first time since May 25, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 7 and 1/3 innings. Washington got its first runner to second base on Michael Taylor’s double in the sixth, but Kershaw ended the inning by striking out Jayson Werth and Harper.
“I tried to make a pitch inside to Grandal to get a double play and just left it out over the middle, ” Roark said. Even though he gave up quite a few hits, Kazmir seemed to keep finding ways out of a jam. He managed to get key outs when he needed them most. I felt like within the first three games, I must have had maybe six or seven balls that were hit at people 100 miles per hour. “Usually, it boils down to one or two pitches”.
To start the eighth inning, Pederson drew a walk.
Rockies 5, Marlins 3: Mark Reynolds hit two homers to help power Colorado past Miami in a record-setting home run contest.
Kenley Jansen became the Dodgers’ career saves leader in the ninth.
Danny Espinosa gave Washington a 2-0 lead when he led off the fifth inning with a solo home run, his 12th of the season. Facing an 0-2 count, Espinosa homered leading off the fifth to make it 2-0, extending the Nationals’ NL home run lead to 98. A three-run home run by Yasmani Grandal then boosted the Dodgers to a 3-2 lead. Kazmir went five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits, walking one (intentional) and striking out four.
Before tonight, the Dodgers were 4-24 after trailing in the seventh inning or later. RHP Brandon McCarthy (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to pitch four innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, continuing his rehab assignment…. RHP Carlos Frias was optioned to Triple-A when Puig came off the DL.
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the …
Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully missed the game because of a sore throat.
“That means you’re staying on the ball and that means you’re letting your natural ability come through versus forcing it”, the 67-year-old former major leaguer explained. Scully always works alone, but needed two replacements on the telecast: Charley Steiner and Orel Hershiser.
Monday’s game was expected to feature a duel between Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw and Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg, but the latter was scratched from his start due to an upper back strain, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
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“Everybody has difficulty with Kershaw”, Baker said.
