Ross Stripling worked a high-wire act early, the Los Angeles Dodgers jumped out to a lead on the Boston Red Sox and returned the favor with a shutout victory of their own.
Mookie Betts opened the game with a grounder up the middle that kicked off Stripling’s right food and carried into center field for a base hit. Brock Holt was jammed, but also singled to center to put two on with no outs.
After Stripling struck out Xander Bogaerts, Howie Kendrick made a terrific giving stop to rob David Ortiz of an RBI single. Jackie Bradley Jr. drew a walk to load the bases but it didn’t amount to anything as Sandy Leon hit softly back to the box.
Eduardo Rodriguez retired the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the first, ending the inning by getting Justin Turner to strike out on a fastball out of the zone.
Stripling bounced back from a rough opening frame to throw a quick second inning, aided by a nice play from Corey Seager on a chopper up the middle.
Adrian Gonzalez and Kiké Hernandez combined for back-to-back singles to left field with no outs. Rodriguez retired Josh Reddick and Scott Van Slyke before giving up an RBI single to A.J. Ellis. Stripling worked around a Betts leadoff single in the third to throw another scoreless inning.
Gonzalez and Hernandez again hit back-to-back singles to put runners on with no outs. Reddick struck out swinging and remained hitless through 14 at-bats with the Dodgers. Rodriguez then proceeded to retire Van Slyke and Ellis to keep Boston’s deficit at 1-0.
Stripling continued with his strong outing in the fifth, needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Chris Taylor pinch-hit for Stripling in the bottom of the fifth and pulled a single into left field.
After Kendrick drew a walk, Seager hit an RBI double on the first pitch he saw. Two batters later Gonzalez blooped a run-scoring single to center, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0 and knocking Rodriguez out of the game.
Matt Barnes came on and promptly struck out pinch-hitter Joc Pederson. Ortiz then added to Reddick’s frustrations by snagging a line drive to rob him of a base hit and RBI. Grant Dayton set the Red Sox down in order in the sixth, which included striking out Ortiz.
Dayton struck out the side after issuing a leadoff walk in the seventh inning. Joe Blanton
worked around a Bogaerts two-out single in the eighth to keep the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead intact. Reddick finally broke through with a leadoff base hit in the bottom of the eighth that carried just beyond Holt’s diving attempt.
Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth inning to complete the Dodgers’ shutout victory over the Red Sox.
