Friday night began on a pleasant note for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they helped former manager Tommy Lasorda celebrate his 90th birthday prior to first pitch against the San Francisco Giants. There was then an early deficit, but an ultimate celebration some three hours later.
After a leadoff bunt single and stolen base led to a run in the first inning, Rich Hill kept the Giants at bay. San Francisco put two on with nobody out in the fourth but Hill escaped the jam on a lineout and double play.
That was after Hill helped his cause in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI double on the first pitch he saw from Jeff Samardzija. Cody Bellinger’s three-run home run put the Dodgers ahead for good at 4-1.
The homer was Bellinger’s 39th this season, which broke the National League record for most by a rookie in a single season. He leads the team in that category and with 94 RBI.
Hill pitched six innings, with just the one run allowed, and nine strikeouts against one walk. Since joining the Dodgers last season, he’s 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA in six starts against the Giants.
Along with clinching an unprecedented fifth consecutive NL West title, the Dodgers also moved to two games ahead of the Cleveland Indians, who fell to the Seattle Mariners on a Nelson Cruz walk-off home run.
