The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded a quick two-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday. Alex Wood took the mound with the Dodgers looking to extend their modest winning streak to three games with a sweep of the Rays.
Drew Smyly got off to a hot start, striking out the side — Kiké Hernandez, Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez — in the first inning.
After striking out Logan Forsythe to open the bottom of the first, Wood gave up a solo home run to Brandon Guyer, and the Dodgers found themselves trailing 1-0 after the opening frame a second consecutive game.
Smyly didn’t slow down any in the second inning, working around a leadoff walk to Justin Turner by retiring the next three batters faced, including two by strikeout. Wood tossed a 1-2-3 second inning, collecting back-to-back strikeouts in the process.
Corey Seager worked a leadoff walk in the third inning, and reached third base on a Puig two-out double. However, both runners were stranded as Gonzalez tapped back to the mound. Wood continued to pitch well, bookending a 1-2-3 third inning with strikeouts to keep the Dodgers within a run of the Rays.
Howie Kendrick hit a one-out single in the fourth, and was moved into scoring position on a Trayce Thompson chopper. Yasmani Grandal delivered with a two-out RBI single to tie the game, but was caught in a rundown to end the inning.
CONTINUE READING: Rays add to home run total, nearly give game away in eighth inning
Wood’s string of nine consecutive batters retired came to a halt with two outs in the bottom of the fourth as Steven Souza Jr. put Tampa Bay ahead, 2-1, with a solo home run. Wood ended the inning by collecting his seventh strikeout of the game.
Smyly protected the lead in the fifth, retiring the Dodgers in order. Curt Casali drove a two-out single to center, though nothing came of it for the Rays. Puig and Gonzalez hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with none out in the sixth.
Erasmo Ramirez replaced Smyly to face Turner. The right-handed reliever got ahead 0-2 in the count, but threw a wild pitch that allowed Puig to score from third base and Gonzalez to reach second.
With two outs and Gonzalez standing on third base, Chase Utley pinch-hit for Thompson and drew a walk. Grandal failed to take advantage as he grounded out to end the inning, sending the game to the bottom of the sixth tied at 2-2.
That didn’t last long however, as the Rays put two on with none out in the bottom of the sixth on a Guyer base hit and Charlie Culberson throwing error on a force out attempt at second base after fielding a Longoria chopper.
Steve Pearce hit the Rays’ third home run of the game off Wood, giving Tampa Bay a 5-2 lead. Louis Coleman came on in relief of the left-hander and finished off the inning without allowing another run to come across.
Seager led off the seventh inning with a double that nearly cleared the fence in right-center field. Joc Pederson, pinch-hitting for Culberson, went down looking. Carl Crawford pinch-hit for Hernandez and flied out. Ramirez completed a second scoreless inning of relief by getting Puig to also fly out.
Pedro Baez entered in the bottom of the seventh and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Casali. The four home runs allowed by Dodgers pitchers were the most in a single game this season. Longoria tagged Baez for a RBI double that extended the Rays’ lead to 7-2.
Adam Liberatore replaced Baez with two outs and saw his first pitch hit for a RBI double by Kevin Kiermaier before Liberatore could end the inning. Enny Romero walked Gonzalez and gave up a single to Turner that put two on with none out in the eighth.
Romero then walked Kendrick to load the bases, and walked Utley to score a run. Xavier Cedeño replaced Romero and struck out Grandal. Seager drew a walk to score another run, cutting the Rays’ lead to 8-4. Pederson’s sacrifice fly tacked on another run, but it was the last of the inning for the Dodgers.
Rays closer Alex Colome struck out Puig and Gonzalez, then worked around a two-out double from Turner to earn a save in Tampa Bay’s 8-5 win that got them a series split.