|
 Greinke (16-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. Only
twice this season has he permitted more than three runs in a game.
However, the Dodgers' offense teed off for 16 hits and came away
with a 7-5 win in the opener of the three-game interleague series.
"The first five innings weren't real sharp, then all of a sudden in
the sixth I started pitching pretty good," said Greinke, who struck
out five and walked none. "Everything started working a little late,
but we got plenty of runs today, so it was good timing to have a
not-so-good start."
Even though Greinke seemed to find himself in the sixth and had made
just 89 pitches, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly went to the bullpen
for the seventh.
"I was fine with whatever," Greinke said about being removed after
the sixth. "Like Donnie said, I threw a lot last game (a season-high
114 pitches) and have been throwing a lot the last couple months. I
felt good, I just wasn't pitching real good."
The Dodgers moved 8 1/2 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in
the National League West, their biggest lead of the season.
The Angels slipped 3 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers in the race
for the American League's second wild-card spot.
The game was anything but crisp. Sixteen pitchers (nine for the
Angels, seven for the Dodgers) gave up a total of 27 hits, as Angels
manager Mike Scioscia and Mattingly made use of their expanded
rosters.
"We're going up against a tough pitcher and we definitely had to
pitch with him, and I thought (starter) Nick (Tropeano) did a good
job, but it just came down to a matchup game, and we didn't quite
get it done as well as we needed to," Scioscia said. "We're going to
have some games like this, especially with the expanded rosters,
you're going to have a lot of moves you can make, a lot of pinch
runners and a lot of pinch-hitting."
First baseman Scott Van Slyke had four hits and four RBIs, and
center fielder Joc Pederson had three hits to lead the Dodgers'
offense.
Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 30th save, striking out both
center fielder Mike Trout and designated hitter Albert Pujols.
Though the Dodgers had their share of hard-hit balls, one of the
weakest hit balls was one of the most damaging to the Angels.
The Dodgers had runners on second and third with one out in the top
of the seventh inning, clinging to a 4-3 lead.
With the Angels' infield playing in, Van Slyke hit a chopper to the
left of the mound, where Angels reliever Trevor Gott made a leaping
attempt to snag it. Instead, the ball caromed off his glove and
scooted past shortstop Erick Aybar into shallow left field.
Two runs scored on the play as Van Slyke reached second, credited
with a double, giving the Dodgers a 6-3 lead.
[to top of second column] |
"Sometimes you're not going to get the roll of the baseball, and
sometimes you are," Scioscia said. "You're not playing the game to
get a break to win, you have to play at a high level so that if you
don't get a break you can still absorb it. We just set the table too
much; they had a lot of runners on base all night."
Van Slyke also had a single off the pitcher's glove in the sixth
inning and an RBI single that bounced high off the plate in the
eighth.
"Yeah, it's abnormal, but if you get enough at-bats during the year,
those things are going to happen," said Van Slyke, who set a career
high with the four hits.
The Angels got two runs back in the seventh inning on a Pujols RBI
single and a run-scoring wild pitch from Dodgers reliever Jim
Johnson.
Pujols had three hits, two of them off Greinke. Right fielder Kole
Calhoun and first baseman C.J. Cron homered off Greinke.
Angels reliever Fernando Salas (3-2) took the loss after allowing a
run on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Tropeano permitted
three runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
NOTES: The Angels lead the all-time series against the Dodgers 57-47
despite losing the past seven. ... Angels 1B/DH Albert Pujols
underwent an MRI exam on his sore right foot before the game, but
results weren't expected until after the game. It was announced
Saturday that because of his foot injury, Pujols would not play in
the field the rest of the season. ... Dodgers SS Jimmy Rollins had
X-rays on a finger/knuckle of his right hand, injured during a
head-first slide Sunday in San Diego, but the results were not
immediately available. Corey Seager started in Rollins' place. ...
Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal initially was in the lineup but was
scratched because of a lingering sore left shoulder. Grandal, who is
hitless in his past 33 at-bats, is listed as day-to-day. ... Angels
RHP Matt Shoemaker, who missed his scheduled start Monday because of
a tight right forearm, played catch from about 80 feet instead. He
will be re-evaluated in three or four days.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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