After the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen again squandered a lead, DJ Peters hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference in a 7-6 win over the Chicago White Sox.
The home run was the Dodgers’ second of the day, as Jake Peter hit a three-run blast for a second time in as many games. Los Angeles initially built their lead with a four-run third inning.
Yasmani Grandal snapped an 0-for-11 Spring Training drought with a booming double, and he then scored on Travis Taijeron’s base hit. Alex Verdugo extended the string of hits with a single, and Peter connected for his home run.
White Sox reliever Joakim Soria allowed a ground-rule double to Edwin Rios before giving way to Chris Beck, who allowed a single and walked Andrew Toles but escaped the bases-loaded jam by retiring Joc Pederson and Grandal.
Clayton Kershaw found himself in early trouble as Leury Garcia lined a one-out single into left field, then advanced to third base on an errant pickoff throw. Omar Estevez took care of a pair of grounders to help the Dodgers ace complete a scoreless first inning.
Kershaw then struck out a pair and worked around a walk in the second. As planned, he threw another inning in the bullpen. Tom Koehler was the first Dodgers reliever to appear, but his stint was short-lived as the right-hander exited due to injury and was sent for an MRI.
Before his exit, Koehler surrendered a solo home run and walked two batters. Brock Stewart allowed an RBI single to Avisail Garcia and saw another run score on a sacrifice fly, trimming the Dodgers’ lead to 4-3.
After Alex Verudgo hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth, Stewart remained in the game for the bottom half of the inning and allowed the White Sox to pull even behind a two-out rally. Following a Yoan Moncada walk, Verdugo overran a Garcia base hit to right field, with Moncada scoring on the error.
Casey Gillaspie’s RBI base hit knocked Stewart out of the game. Josh Sborz kept the game tied over his 1.1 innings of work. Adam Liberatore tossed a scoreless frame, Corey Coping went two shutout innings, and Andrew Istler closed the game out after allowing a two-out homer in the ninth.
