The Los Angeles Dodgers managed to overcome early errors but Brock Stewart’s struggles in the fourth inning were enough for the Chicago Cubs to come away with a win at Sloan Park. Chase Utley led the Dodgers with two RBI in their 9-3 loss.
Kyle Hendricks quickly retired the side in order in the first inning. Kenta Maeda struck out Jason Heyward to start the bottom of the first, then saw Kris Bryant reach on Charlie Culberson’s throwing error. Kyle Schwarber drew a two-out walk, but both runners were stranded by Addison Russell.
Hendricks erased a Kiké Hernandez leadoff single in the second inning by inducing Andrew Toles into a double play. The right-hander concluded his afternoon by striking out Rob Segedin to complete a pair of scoreless innings.
Jon Jay singled with one out in the bottom of the second and raced around the bases to score on Jeimer Candelario’s triple. Hernandez’s ill-advised throw to third base went into the Cubs dugout, which allowed Candelario to score.
Maeda managed to limit the damage to just two runs. Although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was plausible Maeda would go three innings in his second start, the right-hander gave way to Stewart.
Maeda threw 38 pitches, allowed two runs (one earned), issued one walk and had two strikeouts over two innings of work. Former Dodgers starting pitcher Brett Anderson collected one strikeout en route to setting the side down in order in the third.
The Dodgers broke through against Anderson in the fourth inning, however, behind a trio of hits from left-handed batters. Andre Ethier led off with a single and scored on Utley’s double. Utley then scored on Joc Pederson’s base hit before Anderson recorded an out.
After a perfect third inning, Stewart lost his command and ran into trouble in the fourth. Russell was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and after Candelario’s double put runners on the corners, Stewart hit Matt Szczur to load the bases with two outs.
Heyward walked on four pitches to bring in a run, and Stewart was replaced by Ralston Cash. The pitching change didn’t work in the Dodgers’ favor, as Bryant’s grand slam extended the Cubs’ lead to 7-2.
Pedro Strop struck out the first two batters faced in the fifth before allowing the Dodgers to mount a small rally. Tyler Holt’s triple was followed by an Ethier walk and then an Utley RBI single. Hector Rendon worked around a Hernandez leadoff single and Segedin two-out double in the sixth to keep the Cubs’ 7-3 lead intact.
Dodgers reliever Madison Younginer allowed a leadoff single to Candelario and later issued three consecutive walks, with the last of the three bringing a run in. Carl Edwards Jr., another of the Cubs regulars to make his debut Saturday, struck out the side in the seventh inning.
Miscommunication led to a pop-up dropping on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, and it cost the Dodgers as Victor Caratini followed with an RBI double that extended the Cubs’ lead to 9-3. Seth Frankoff navigated through some traffic to toss a scoreless ninth inning and hand the Dodgers a third consecutive loss.
