The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays met on Tuesday for the first time since 2013, when the Dodgers swept a three-game home home series. This year’s Interleague series is the first meeting between the two clubs at Tropicana Field since 2007.
Matt Moore, who entering his start had at least five strikeouts in each of his five outings this season, came out firing. He struck out Kiké Hernandez and Yasiel Puig, then got in on Adrian Gonzalez’s hands to induce a grounder to complete a quick first inning.
Scott Kazmir struck out Logan Forsythe looking to start the bottom of the first, then hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch. Evan Longoria drove Guyer in with a double to left field. Kazmir limited the damage by getting out of the inning on a grounder and strikeout.
The Dodgers quickly went to work on erasing their early deficit, starting with a Howie Kendrick one-out single to center. Trayce Thompson followed with a towering two-run home run to left-center field to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
The home run was the fifth Moore has allowed in six starts this season. Moore’s home run woes continued as Joc Pederson clubbed a solo shot before the lefty managed to get out of the inning. Kevin Kiermaier caught Pederson sleeping with two outs in the bottom of the second and turned a single into a double.
He was stranded, however, as Kazmir hit the inside corner for called strike three on Curt Casali.
CONTINUE READING: Howie Kendrick breaks out of slump, Scott Kazmir battles, Yasiel Puig adds to lead
After going hitless on the seven-game homestand, Adrian Gonzalez knocked a two-out single to center field in the third inning. Justin Turner, who’s also been scuttling at the plate, followed with a bloop double to right field.
Moore worked his way out of the small jam by getting Kendrick to fly out, keeping the Dodgers’ lead at 3-1. Kazmir got a pair of fly outs in the bottom of the third, then ran into some trouble. Longoria walked and Steve Pearce hit a single to center to put runners on first and second.
Both runners were stranded as Steven Souza Jr. was caught looking to give Kazmir five strikeouts through three innings. The southpaw wasn’t as lucky in the fourth, allowing a one-out single to Tim Beckham, and later a game-tying two-run homer to Casali.
Hernandez drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth, and Puig’s too-hot-to-handle chopper to Longoria gave the Dodgers two on with no outs. After a Gonzalez line out, Turner worked a walk to load the bases.
Kendrick pulled a Moore’s first pitch for a two-run double that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. The RBI(s) and extra-base hit were the first of the season for Kendrick. With the Rays infield drawn in, Thompson beat the shift with a two-run single by a diving Forsythe.
Steve Geltz replaced Moore and struck out Ellis. Thompson was then caught stealing to end the inning. Tampa Bay cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fifth behind a Pearce two-out solo home run. Kazmir caught Souza Jr. looking to end the inning, giving him a season-high seven strikeouts.
After the Dodgers went down in order in the sixth, Kazmir did the same to the Rays in the bottom half of the inning. Jhan Martinez replaced Geltz in the seventh and retired Puig, Gonzalez and Turner. Kazmir collected his ninth strikeout before exiting after 6.2 innings.
Joe Blanton stranded a runner on first base by striking out Longoria to end the seventh inning. Kendrick connected for his third of the game, leading off the eighth with a single. He eventually reached second base on a grounder, where he was stranded.
Puig added to the Dodgers’ lead in the ninth with a three-run home run. Gonzalez beat the shift with a single to left and Kendrick collected his fourth hit, but both were stranded. J.P. Howell issued a pair of two-out walks and allowed a single to load the bases.
He then hit Longoria with a pitch to bring a run in. Kenley Jansen entered for Howell and recorded the final out to earn a save in the Dodgers’ 10-5 win.