The Los Angeles Dodgers won their fourth straight game Friday, defeating the San Francisco Giants 3-2 in their series-opener at Dodger Stadium.
Ross Stripling once again led the way on the mound. He won his sixth straight start, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 6.1 innings pitched. At one point, Stripling retired 12 straight Giants between the first and fifth innings.
The Dodgers got on the board quickly when Kiké Hernandez hit a solo home run in the first inning to give his team a 1-0 lead. It was Hernandez’s ninth of the 2018 season. He now has a four-game hitting streak dating back to June 10.
Matt Kemp added on with a solo shot of his own in the fourth, his 11th of the year. It marked the 25th home run of his career against the Giants, most of which have come in Dodger blue.
Kemp was able to play Friday after appealing a one-game suspension for his role in the scuffle between the Dodgers and Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Both benches cleared after Kemp and Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos collided at home plate and started pushing each other.
The Dodgers added another run in the fourth thanks to some sloppy defense by their rivals. Giants center fielder Austin Jackson badly misplayed a fly ball off the bat of Yasmani Grandal, who ended up at third base on the error. The next batter, Yasiel Puig, hit an RBI-double to score Grandal and make it 3-0, Dodgers.
The score remained that way until the top of the seventh. With one on and one out, Pablo Sandoval slapped an opposite-field fly ball that carried into the Dodgers bullpen, bringing the Giants within one. However, the Dodgers bullpen threw 2.2 scoreless innings to seal the victory.
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