The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were locked in a pitchers’ duel through the first third of Saturday’s game, with John Lackey and Brandon McCarthy both tossing a no-hitter through three innings. Each allowed their first hit in the fourth.
Whereas McCarthy’s first hit surrendered was a single that saw the inning come to an end when Ian Happ attempted to leg out a double, the Dodgers’ first hit off Lackey led to taking the lead.
Kiké Hernandez doubled with two outs and soon after stole third base. Cody Bellinger kept the inning alive by working a walk.
Chase Utley added to his big month by lining the first pitch he saw into left field for an RBI single. Lackey was again hurt by the first pitch in the fifth inning.
After Brandon McCarthy drew a leadoff walk, Chris Taylor attacked Lackey’s first offering and lined a two-run home run over the short wall in left field. “He walked the guy before,” Taylor said. “So I had a feeling he wanted to get ahead. I wanted to be aggressive.”
Utley later added a two-run single to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0, which held as the final score. McCarthy scattered two hits over six shutout innings. He only threw 79 pitches but was removed due to tendinitis in his right knee.
Ross Stripling entered in the seventh and converted a three-inning save. Stripling allowed just one hit en route to earning his first career save.
