The Los Angeles Dodgers beat a potential postseason team from the American League West for the second consecutive game on Tuesday, earning a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics in their series opener.
The Dodgers’ offense had a solid night, putting together nine hits to score their four runs, but perhaps none were more important than Matt Kemp’s RBI single in the seventh inning.
Not only did the Dodgers have a slim 3-2 lead at the time and added much-needed insurance, but Kemp also went into that at-bat just 1-for-his-last-37.
Clearly struggling at the plate, Kemp shortened up his swing and went to right field to drive in the run. He breathed a huge sigh of relief and pointed to the sky once he got to first base.
Cody Bellinger also had a solid day at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two walks while driving in a big two-out run. Brian Dozier walked three times in addition to a first-inning single in his first game batting leadoff for the Dodgers, and Justin Turner hit the ball hard all night resulting in two hits.
The performance of Rich Hill was one of the biggest stories of the night though, as he has been on a roll as of late. He took a no-hitter into the fourth inning and wound up allowing just three hits and two runs in 5.1 innings while striking out five and walking four.
Hill did not allow any runs until his last pitch of the night when he gave up a two-run home run to Khris Davis in the sixth inning.
The Dodgers bullpen was flawless behind Hill. Dylan Floro, Scott Alexander, J.T. Chargois and Kenley Jansen combined to toss 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six. Jansen picked up his 32nd save of the season.
