After clinching the National League West in their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a bit of a let down the following night. The Dodgers did not play their best game Thursday either, but still left Camden Yards with a 4-2 victory to earn the series win.
Rich Hill got the start on the mound in his return from the 60-day injured list, but he was not able to get out of the first inning. Hill was removed with two outs and the bases loaded and later diagnosed with a strained MCL in his left knee. He hit two batters and walked two to allow a run while only recording two outs.
The Dodgers got that run back in the top of the second when Cody Bellinger led off the inning with a single and then stole second a pitch later. He wound up scoring on a two-out bloop single by Gavin Lux.
After the Orioles picked up a run to regain the lead in the fifth, the Dodgers again responded the following half inning.
A.J. Pollock got the rally started with a leadoff double that went off the high wall in right field. Bellinger followed with an opposite-field single of his own to tie the game. Bellinger’s flare dropped in shallow left and Pollock inadvertently ran through a stop sign.
After an error loaded the bases with two outs, Russell Martin had one of the weirder at-bats in the league this season. He wound up swinging through a 3-2 pitch, but the ball got away from Pedro Severino.
Martin was able to reach first and not only did Bellinger score the go-ahead run, but Corey Seager also came all the way around from second base as he noticed Orioles pitcher Dylan Bundy neglected to cover home plate.
That was all for the Dodgers offense on the night, but their pitching staff was flawless the rest of the way, allowing just two total hits to close out the victory without any issues. Kenley Jansen tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 29th save of the season and looked the best he has in a while as his cutter was moving and touched 96 mph.
