In what was the first Interleague game of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers turned into another highlight reel for Cody Bellinger in his young career. With the score tied in the eight inning, Bellinger clubbed a go-ahead home run off Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller.
The home run was the first allowed by Miller this season. Bellinger added to his night by lining a three-run homer to the right-field stands in the ninth off another southpaw in Boone Logan, providing the last bit of insurance in the Dodgers’ 7-5 win.
The home run was Bellinger’s fifth in the past three games, and his fourth career-multi home run game. Bellinger joined Dodgers Mike Piazza (five) and Corey Seager (four) to have at least four multi-homer games in a single season.
Whether Jacobs Field or Progressive Field, Clayton Kershaw’s start on Tuesday was his first time facing the Indians in their home ballpark. Kershaw wasn’t particularly sharp but did manage to work his way around some trouble.
That was until the third inning. Daniel Robertson led off with a double down the left-field line, and he later scored on Michael Brantley’s two-out sinking line drive to right field that Puig trapped on his diving catch attempt.
Then in the fifth, Kershaw surrendered a game-tying solo home run to Roberto Perez. The homer was Perez’s first of the season, and came in an at-bat in which he fell behind in the count 0-2, only to work it full.
After allowing a two-run home run to Puig in the second inning, Trevor Bauer kept the Dodgers off the board the rest of the way. That was despite allowing a hit in each the third, fourth and sixth innings.
Bauer’s biggest brush with trouble came in the sixth, when Cody Bellinger led off with a hustle double. Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor struck out, but Bauer walked Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson to load the bases. Miller struck out Puig to leave the bases loaded.
The book closed on Bauer at two runs allowed on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Kershaw worked around a leadoff walk in the sixth inning and retired the side in order in the seventh inning.
He finished with two runs allowed on six hits, two walks and four strikeouts over seven innings. Kershaw improved to lifetime 91-0 in the regular season when the Dodgers provide a minimum of four runs of support.
Kenley Jansen was unexpectedly needed in the ninth inning after a dropped strike three to end the game allowed a second runner to reach. Chris Hatcher then surrendered a three-run home run to Robertson.
The victory was the Dodgers’ fifth in a row, and coupled with the Colorado Rockies suffering a loss, forced a tie atop the National League West standings.
