The Los Angeles Dodgers returned from a seven-game road trip to start a homestand made up of series against the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs. Los Angeles took two of three from their longtime rival, though ended the series with a dud of a game.
Friday’s matchup featured the teams who owned the top two records in baseball since Clayton Kershaw last pitched, with the Cubs going 33-19 over that span, and the Dodgers 30-20. Bud Norris wilted early against the Cubs’ vaunted lineup.
Dexter Fowler opened the game with a leadoff single, and Chicago later took the lead on Addison Russell’s RBI single.
However, the Dodgers capitalized on Mike Montgomery’s command issues and scored one run in the second, third and fourth innings.
They led, 3-1, when the fifth began. With two outs and Montgomery on first base, Norris walked Kris Bryant. Anthony Rizzo followed with a chopper up the middle that carried into center field for an RBI single.
Chase Utley, who was shifted toward right field, gave it a valiant effort but came up empty on his diving attempt. The veteran second baseman atoned for that on the next play, ranging to his left to make a terrific diving stop and throw while laying down:
Utley’s superb defensive play robbed Ben Zobrist of an RBI kept the Dodgers in the lead. That was eventually washed away in the ninth inning as Kenley Jansen and Carlos Ruiz encountered trouble their first time working together.
Kris Bryant then hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the 10th that proved to be the difference. The home run was Bryant’s second of the game.
