The Los Angeles Dodgers manufactured a pair of runs early and seemingly pulled off the improbable late to come away with a second straight victory Cleveland Indians. The Dodgers matched their season-long six-game winning streak.
Following a Yasmani Grandal walk in the second inning, Chris Taylor doubled off Corey Kluber to put two on with one out. Joc Pederson’s RBI infield single got the Dodgers on the board. They tacked on a second run on a successful double steal.
Yasiel Puig, who remained eligible to play due to appealing his suspension, drew the ire of Indians fans when announced for his first at-bat. Puig quieted some of the boos by reaching on an infield single.
The Dodgers’ second attempt at a double steal in the inning ended with Pederson getting caught in a rundown. Los Angeles didn’t have another baserunner until Pederson was hit by a pitch with one out in the fifth inning.
Kluber struck out Puig and retired Chase Utley to keep the Indians’ deficit at two runs. The 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner allowed a one-out double to Justin Turner in the sixth but otherwise struck out the side.
Kluber matched a season high with 10 strikeouts over seven quality innings, reaching 1,000 career strikeouts in the process. Corey Seager struck out three times and Cody Bellinger twice.
Brandon McCarthy scattered three hits and carried a shutout into the sixth inning. He was ultimately charged with one run in 5.1 innings of work. It marked his fifth consecutive start with two runs or fewer allowed, and the ninth such time in 11 starts this season.
Bradley Zimmer singled with one out in the sixth and promptly stole second base. Francisco Lindor followed with a single of his own, leaving runners at the corners and knocking McCarthy out of the game.
Prior to that point, the Indians’ lone baserunners came on a Michael Brantley two-out double in the first inning, and one walk in each the second and fourth. Brantley’s sacrifice fly off Grant Dayton was all the Indians managed to push across in the sixth.
Jose Ramirez took Josh Fields deep in the seventh inning to tie the game. That was short-lived, however, as Andrew Miller proved human yet again. He surrendered a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run to Kiké Hernandez with one out in the eighth inning.
The home run was the second Miller allowed in as many appearances against the Dodgers. He promptly allowed a base hit to Seager, and walked Turner and Bellinger to load the bases. Grandal appeared to ground into an inning-ending double play, but the Dodgers successfully challenged the out call at second base.
It not only cost the Indians a run on the play, but it led to a Taylor two-run single off Zach McAllister. Luis Avilan allowed back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the eighth and was replaced by Pedro Baez with two outs.
Edwin Encarnacion’s check-swing grounder got through the right side to bring in another run. Ramirez’s double put the tying runs in scoring position, where they were stranded. Kenley Jansen took over in the ninth and converted the save in the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory.
