A career-first for Kiké Hernandez propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, extending their winning streak to a season-high six games. Hernandez’s go-ahead three-run homer off the vaunted Josh Hader was his first to come in an 0-2 count.
It ended what had long been a frustrating night for the Dodgers. Jhoulys Chacín was effectively wild through his five innings of work. The Dodgers cut into their deficit in the second when Alex Verdugo’s two-out double scored Cody Bellinger from first base.
Then in the third inning, Chacín walked Stripling and Corey Seager and gave up a single to Justin Turner, which loaded the bases with one out. Bellinger put a charge into one but settled for a sacrifice fly to deep left field that tied the game.
Prior to striking against Hader, the Dodgers had a golden opportunity to break the tie in the top of the seventh inning as they loaded the bases with one out. Turner had multiple calls go against him en route to striking out looking, and Hader then entered and struck out Bellinger.
The Dodgers again stressed Hader in the eighth by working two walks and it ultimately paid off when Hernandez launched his home run despite being down to his last strike.
Ross Stripling wasn’t nearly as effective as his last time out against the Brewers, but he managed to settle in after a rocky first inning. Christian Yelich ambushed the first pitch he saw for a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, giving him an MLB-best 11 homers.
Although Stripling kept the Brewers off the board after that point, it wasn’t until the fourth inning that he retired the side in order. Even with doing so, Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia each hit drives to the warning track.
Stripling picked up two quick outs in the bottom of the fifth but walked Yelich and it marked the end of his night. Stripling’s outing was the shortest by a Dodgers starter since Caleb Ferguson went 2.2 innings last Saturday in a bullpen game.
Scott Alexander retired Mike Moustakas to close the book on Stripling at the two runs allowed, three walks and a season-high eight strikeouts over 4.2 innings.
Milwaukee threatened to take a lead in the sixth inning when Thames and Ben Gamel combined for back-to-back two-out singles. Dylan Floro replaced Scott Alexander and retired Arcia and picked up an out in the seventh to run his ledger to 9.3 scoreless innings this season.
Floro did exit responsible for the runner on first, but was picked up by Pedro Baez retiring Yelich and Moustakas. Kenley Jansen took over in the ninth and converted a third save in as many games and seventh overall this season.
