Dodgers Make History With 12th Straight Road Win

Dodgers  6 9 0

Cubs 2 14 1

WP- Ryu (10-3)

LP- Wood (7-8)

The Dodgers made history on Friday afternoon in Chicago. With a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs, they extended their franchise tying record road winning streak to 12 games. This record was established back in 1924. Hyun-jin Ryu pitched well over 5 1/3 innings although he did allow 2 runs on 11 hits. He struck out 6 Cubbies and walked none, and he picked up his 10th victory of the season. Travis Wood struggled right from the first inning, and he walked five Dodgers and allowed 5 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Nick Punto, who was getting the start at short while Hanley got a scheduled off day, drove in 2 with 2 hits. Puig, Van Slyke, and A.J. Ellis both drove in runs as well. Don Mattingly and Mark Ellis both were tossed from the game in the fourth inning after a questionable call on a strike to Ellis. The umps once again were trigger happy, and they ejected both swiftly after Ellis slammed down his helmet in disgust.

Travis Wood allowed 5 runs and 5 walks in just 3 1/3 innings. Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers bullpen did not allow a run, and even Carlos Marmol somehow managed a scoreless ninth. The Dodgers are now 10 games over .500, and they could be 4 1/2 ahead of Arizona if they shall lose Friday night. The Dodger Blue train continues to roll on! A little ivy won’t get in their way!

In the top of the second, Adrian Gonzalez hits a deep fly ball to left center field. Junior Lake goes back but gets lost in the ivy and can’t catch the ball which bounces off the wall! Gonzalez collects his 22nd double of the season. Yasiel Puig drives in the first run for the dodgers off Travid Wood with a broken bat RBI single to left field! Wood walks Scott Van Slyke to bring up Andre Ethier. Dre flies out to end the inning, but the Dodgers take an early 1-0 lead.

David DeJesus leads off the home half of the first with a single against Hyun-jin Ryu. Junior Lake, who has already been giving the Dodgers a bad time, singles on a groundball which goes right past Mark Ellis. Anthony Rizzo grounds into a double play! Welington Castillo grounds out to Nick Punto who is at short, and the runner is stranded at third. Nice recovery by Ryu after those back-to-back singles.

Travis Wood retires the Dodgers in order in the top of the second.

Cody Ranson is called out on strikes in the bottom of the second. That’s Ryu’s first strikeout. Cole Gillespie doubles to right field with two out. Darwin Barney hits a consecutive double, this one to left field, and the Cubs notch the tying run on the board. Travid Wood strikes out on three pitches, but the game is all even now.

Mark Ellis leads off the third inning with a double over DeJesus’s head in center. Nick Punto then doubles to right field where

Hyun-jin Ryu wins his 10th game of the year. Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Gillespie bobbles the ball, and Mark Ellis comes home with the second Dodger run! The Boys in Blue retake the lead 2-1. Punto tags up and moves to third on a Gonzo fly ball to center. Puig draws a walk. With Scott Van Slyke at bat, Puig attempts to steal. The Cubs throw to second, but then Punto tries to come home for some reason. Punto is thrown out at home easily, and once again the Dodgers botch a play on the base paths and yet another runner is out at home. SVS walks. Wood walks Ethier for the third consecutive free pass which loads the bases up for A.J. Wood walks A.J. for the fourth consecutive walk to bring in another run. This Walkapalooza™ by Wood prompts a coaching visit to the mound. Dodgers have scored two so far this inning and lead 3-1. The inning finally comes to an end when Uribe lines out to Starlin Castro.

Other than another annoying single by Junior Lake with one out in the bottom of the third, Ryu is able to pitch a scoreless frame.

Hyun-jin Ryu leads off with a single in the top of the fourth. Mark Ellis is called out on strikes, and he is furious after a borderline third strike call. He throws his helmet down after yelling “that’s so bad”, and Nick Punto also joins in the discussion with the umps. Mattingly comes out to also argue, and both Mattingly and MEllis are both ejected from the game. That’s Mattingly’s second ejection in the last three games. Punto gets an infield single as he beats out Ransom’s throw. Gonzalez singles on a little dunker to center field, and DeJesus over runs the ball which allows Ryu to score from second! Dodgers lead 4-1 thanks to the fielding error by DeJesus. The Cubs will have to go to their bullpen. Michael Bowden will replace Wood, and the right-hander drills Puig in the arm with a pitch to load the bases up. Punto tags up and scores on a sacrifice fly by SVS. Ethier draws yet another walk. A.J. Ellis strikes out swinging to end the inning, but the Dodgers score another two runs and lead 5-1.

Travis Wood pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and 5 walks on 96 pitches.

Skip Schumaker will replace the ejected Punto at second base for the bottom of the fourth. Castro leads off the inning with a ground-rule double down the right field line. Ransom strikes out, but Gillespie doubles on a ball hit to right field. Puig goes to back hand the ball and has it in his glove, but he dives which knocks the ball away. Castro scores, 5-2. Gillespie takes third on a groundout by Barney. Skip Schumaker makes a nice scoop and gloved toss to Gonzalez to get pinch-hitter Nate Schierholtz out on a soft grounder.

Don Mattingly and Mark Ellis are both ejected in the fourth inning. Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Eduardo Sanchez will pitch the fifth for the Cubs. Uribe leads off with a single up the middle. With Ryu at bat, Uribe sneaks in a stolen base! That’s Uribe’s third stolen base of the year. Ryu lays down a bunt, and Rizzo tries to get Uribe out at third instead of going to first. The throw is off, and everyone’s safe on the fielder’s choice. Ryu advances to second on a comebacker by Schumaker. Punto’s fly ball to center is plenty deep for Uribe to come home. The Dodgers lead 6-2 on the sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the fifth, Lake singles with one out. That’s the rookie’s third hit of the game. Ryu strikes out Rizzo. Castillo singles, and although Puig makes a strong throw to third Lake is safe. Castro flies out, and Puig is there to make the third out.

In the top of the sixth, Puig manages an infield single when the ball hops up the middle past Bowden and off the second base bag. SVS, Ethier, and A.J. all are retired thereafter.

Gillespie and Barney hit back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom of the sixth. That’s going to be all for Hyun-jin Ryu. J.P. Howell will come in out of the Dodgers bullpen. Pinch-hitter Luis Valbuena singles on a groundball to third which was deflected by Howell. No one can get to the ball, and the bases are loaded. David DeJesus helps us once again by grounding into an inning ending double play!

James Russell comes out of the Cubbies bullpen for the top of the seventh. Russell is able to retire the Dodgers in order.

Brandon League will pitch the bottom of the seventh for the Dodgers. Lake singles, and that’s his fourth hit of the day. Rizzo grounds out, and Lake takes second. Castillo pops out to second. Castro grounds out,

Ronald Belisario comes in for the eighth, and he pitches a very nice 1-2-3 inning with a little help from Puig who makes a fantastic diving catch to rob Barney of a base hit.

Pedro Strop will become the sixth Chicago pitcher of the day for the top of the ninth. The Dodgers go down in order.

Carlos Marmol will make his first appearance against his former club since being acquired from the Cubs for the bottom of the

Hyun-jin Ryu fans at Wrigley Field. Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

ninth. Julio Borbon promptly doubles. A.J. fires his gun and Borbon is out at third on an embarrassing TOOTBLAN. DeJesus walks. Junior Lake is finally retired, and he pops out to second for the second out. Rizzo grounds out, and the Dodgers win!

That’s the Dodgers 59th win of the season, and they sit at 4 games ahead of the D-backs.

Tomorrow afternoon the Dodgers will go for the series win in game three with a pitching matchup between Chris Capuano and Jeff Samardzija.