LDN - Sports

Dodgers win rain-shortened game vs. White Sox

[July 20, 2017] CHICAGO -- Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez was more interested in grabbing his postgame meal than discussing his big night at the plate on Wednesday.

"You can quote me: I hit two home runs," Hernandez said as he buttoned his shirt in front of his locker and zigzagged across the locker room toward the food. "That's it."

These days, it is easy for the league-leading Dodgers to shrug at their own success.

Hernandez homered twice and Chris Taylor finished a triple shy of the cycle as the Dodgers rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in a rain-shortened affair. The game was called because of heavy rain after a 37-minute delay with two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

Los Angeles (66-29) won its 11th consecutive game and improved to 31-4 in its past 35. The 11-game winning streak marks the Dodgers' best stretch of success since 2006.

"The confidence we have in our group that we're going to win a game on a particular night is real," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "The talent is real. You've got to do it to really believe in it."

As the Dodgers surge, Chicago (38-54) is slumping badly in the first year of its rebuilding project. The White Sox have lost six games in a row and nine of their last 10.

Enthusiasm was noticeable among White Sox fans anyway because of the team debut of Yoan Moncada, a highly touted second baseman who was acquired last season from Boston. The team announced 5,000 walk-up ticket sales -- a high number by its standards -- to watch Moncada play.

Moncada finished 0-for-2 with a walk. Even his foul tips drew loud ovations.

"I was excited for how the fans treated me and how they were cheering me," Moncada said through an interpreter. "I was really happy in that at-bat and excited because of all that atmosphere and the excitement in the ballpark."

The Dodgers dulled some of that excitement by hitting balls out of the ballpark. They hit all four home runs against White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-3), who was chased in the fourth inning.

Rodon said a nine-day break between starts did not serve as an excuse for his performance.

"Just wasn't there, man," Rodon said. "(My) stuff felt electric, but these guys are good. They can hit hard stuff, and (they make you pay) when you miss in the wrong spot."

Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (8-4) held the White Sox to one run and five hits in five innings. The team's starting pitchers improved to 11-0 with a 1.45 ERA during the winning streak.

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White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada (10) watches a possible home run go foul against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

"It's a really good atmosphere," Maeda said through an interpreter. "Everybody is doing their job to the best of their abilities. That creates the mood."

Taylor led off the game with a home run to put the Dodgers on top 1-0. The opposite-field blast marked Taylor's 11th home run of the season and the first leadoff home run of his career.

In the bottom of the first, Melky Cabrera homered to even the score at 1.

Hernandez followed with home runs to lead off the second and fourth innings. He pulled both hits over the left-field wall for the second multi-home run game of his career.

The parade of long balls continued as Corey Seager lofted an opposite-field, two-run shot to increase the Dodgers' lead to 5-1 in the fourth.

The Dodgers scored four runs in the sixth inning to grab an eight-run lead. Trayce Thompson, Taylor, Seager and Justin Turner each drove in one run apiece during the outburst.

"Eleven straight for them?" Rodon said. "That's somewhere this team wants to be. We're working our way to that, and hats off to them for playing so well."

NOTES: White Sox 2B Yoan Moncada will stay at second base rather than move around the infield. The 22-year-old Cuban was considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the minor leagues by Baseball America and MLB.com. He also has experience playing third base in the minor leagues. ... Dodgers RHP Hyun-Jin Ryu will start Monday against the Twins, manager Dave Roberts said. Ryu has been on the disabled list since July 4 because of a left foot contusion. ... Newly acquired White Sox RHP Tyler Clippard will get the first shot at the closer's role after RHP David Robertson's departure to the Yankees, manager Rick Renteria said. Clippard has 57 career saves, including a 32-save campaign with the Washington Nationals in 2012. ... Dodgers OF Trayce Thompson made his 11th start of the season. He went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

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