The Los Angeles Dodgers only had one more hit than the Chicago Cubs had runs scored, but still managed to come away with a 6-2 win to sweep the doubleheader at Wrigley Field and extend their winning streak to five games.
The Dodgers finished the night with a season-high-tying nine walks compared to just three hits. They fell into a deficit after the first inning but drew five walks as part of a four-run second.
Cubs opener Daniel Norris walked Will Smith to lead off the inning and compounded that by putting Max Muncy and Justin Turner on base eight pitches later. Norris struck out Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor, only to then walk Hanser Alberto.
Mookie Betts followed that with a bases-clearing double that gave the Dodgers a decided lead and extended his hitting streak to eight games. Betts provided insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth inning and was responsible for two of the team’s three hits.
The Dodgers drew four more walks after the second inning but never managed to capitalize. Max Muncy and Justin Turner tied for the team lead with two walks in the game.
That kept pressure on Tyler Anderson, who turned in another strong performance. He got through five innings with just two runs allowed and gave the Cubs a steady dose of his changeup en route to collecting a season-high seven strikeouts.
Chicago was aided by Betts dropping a deep fly ball to lead off the bottom of the first inning, which resulted in a triple for Willson Contreras and an eventual run. Contreras later added a solo home run, and his leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth represented the game’s first hit that didn’t go for extra bases.
Daniel Hudson, Brusdar Graterol and Craig Kimbrel combined to throw four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Graterol was the only of the three to pitch multiple innings.
Betts prevented Dodgers franchise history
Prior to Betts’ home run in the ninth inning, the Dodgers were on track to make franchise history with at least four runs scored with one or zero hits.
Overall, there have been four games in MLB history in which a team had four or more runs on one or fewer hits. Those clubs are 3-1 in such games.
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