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 However, after squandering two chances at a big inning with
baserunning mistakes, the Dodgers capitalized on an error to erupt
for five runs in the seventh inning and rally for an 8-4 victory
over the Chicago Cubs.
It was just Los Angeles' second win this season when trailing after
six innings.
"Obviously, it didn't look good early; it ended up good," Dodgers
manager Don Mattingly said. "At this point in the year, it doesn't
matter what happens to you. You walk away with a 'W' and you feel
good about it."
Second baseman Dee Gordon, who finished 2-for-5, drove in the
go-ahead run with a double.
The Dodgers snapped a two-game losing streak -- including a 16-2
loss to the Rockies on Wednesday -- and increased their lead over
the idle San Francisco Giants to 2 1/2 games in the National League
West.
Paco Rodriguez (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to get the
win.
The Dodgers survived a shaky outing by starter Zack Greinke, who
allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings.
Neil Ramirez (2-3) gave up five runs (one earned) in two-thirds of
an inning and took the loss.
The Dodgers trailed 4-1 after six innings before their
seventh-inning rally, in which four of the five runs were unearned.
With one out and runners on the corners, the Dodgers appeared to
waste another opportunity as third baseman Juan Uribe hit what
should have been a routine double-play grounder to second. However,
in his haste, Cubs second baseman Logan Watkins dropped the ball,
and everybody was safe.
Instead of the inning being over, the Dodgers had a run in with
runners on first and second and still only one out. Pinch hitter
Andre Ethier doubled in a run to make it 4-3, and another pinch
hitter, Justin Turner, followed with an RBI groundout to tie the
score.
Gordon gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead with a double down the left field
line to plate Ethier. Center fielder Yasiel Puig made it 6-4 with a
single to drive in Gordon.
"It happened really quickly," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "They
hit a couple balls hard, but there were a couple plays we could have
made."
The Dodgers added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
The Cubs didn't waste any time jumping on Greinke, as the first four
batters reached base in the first inning, giving Chicago a 2-0 lead.
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The Dodgers had a chance for a big inning in the fourth but were
thwarted by a baserunning mistake and clutch pitching by Cubs
starter Tsuyoshi Wada.
Gordon led off with a bunt single but was picked off attempting to
steal for the first out. That play loomed large as Puig and first
baseman Adrian Gonzalez followed with singles to put runners on the
corners.
Wada was able to escape by getting right fielder Matt Kemp to strike
out swinging and then caught shortstop Hanley Ramirez looking at a
called strike three to end the inning.
Baserunning issues surfaced again in the fifth inning. After left
fielder Scott Van Slyke led off with an infield single, third
baseman Juan Uribe followed with a drive off the left field wall.
Uribe went into a home run trot before kicking it into gear and was
thrown out at second as Van Slyke cruised into third.
The next batter, catcher A.J. Ellis, cut the deficit in half with an
RBI groundout.
The Cubs added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the
lead to 4-1.
Wada gave up one run on five hits in five innings.
"(The victory) is pretty big because by the fifth inning, it didn't
look very good," Greinke said. "To pull it out is almost like
stealing a win."
Each of the first five batters in the Cubs' lineup -- left fielder
Chris Coghlan, shortstop Javier Baez, third baseman Luis Valbuena,
right fielder Jorge Soler and center fielder Ryan Kalish --
collected two hits.
NOTES: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez was back in the lineup Thursday
night after missing a couple of games with a right elbow strain.
"This thing just popped up out of the blue," manager Don Mattingly
said. "We'll just see how he responds." ... LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu was
expected to rejoin the Dodgers at some point Thursday, but he ran
into travel troubles getting to Chicago. The Dodgers aren't sure
when Ryu might rejoin the rotation. ... Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson
(6-14, 6.09 ERA), who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 21
with a right lat strain, will return Friday to face Dodgers LHP
Clayton Kershaw (19-3, 1.70).
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