Los Angeles Dodgers Game Recaps: Dodgers Even Series at Milwaukee With Power Barrage

Remember when Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier were the only Dodgers that hit home runs? Thankfully those days are long gone, and Ethier is still hitting home runs for the Dodgers. The boys in blue slugged three home runs to back another solid Zack Greinke start to give the Dodgers an easy 8-2 win at Miller Park over the Brewers on Tuesday evening. The Dodgers have now hit 42 home runs, the most in the major leagues.

For Zack Greinke, it was just business as usual. He’s been the Dodgers early season ace this year, and he turned in another outstanding performance in his old stomping grounds. Greinke threw 7.2 innings of one-run ball (unearned) on two hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks. Greinke is now 5-0, and 16-2 all time at Miller Park. He lowers his ERA to 1.56, and has not lost a decision since August of 2014. Greinke is 10-0 since then. He also contributed on offense as well with a double in the seventh inning. He scored on the Rollins home run in that frame.

Dodgers 8 9 1

Brewers 2 3 0

WP-Greinke-5-0

LP-Garza-2-4

HR-Turner-4-Rollins-3-Gonzo-9

The Dodgers were trailing for the first five innings, and were unable to do anything with the bats until the sixth inning when they finally got to Greinke’s opposing starter Matt Garza.

The Dodger offense came through late in the game to score eight runs on nine hits. Seven of those eight runs were scored on long balls. The Dodgers scored three runs in the sixth, four in the seventh, and one more in the ninth. Justin Turner hit a three-run home run over the center field wall with Howie Kendrick and Gonzalez aboard. Jimmy Rollins broke out of his slump with a two-run home run in the seventh inning after Greinke had doubled. Then after Kendrick walked, Adrian Gonzalez his a monstrous 447 foot home run that landed just below the scoreboard in straight away center field.

Photo from newsobserver.com

Turner had four runs driven in, and three hits on the night. He added an RBI single in the top of the ninth for good measure. The Dodgers defeated the Brewers 8-2 to even the series. Here’s how it all went down in Milwaukee.

With inclement weather the two clubs played with the roof closed. Milwaukee scored first in the bottom of the second after both clubs turned in scoreless first frames, and the Dodgers were set down in the top of the second. Although the Dodgers left two runners stranded after Gonzo walked, and Turner singled. Andre Ethier’s force out, and strikeouts of Yasmani Grandal, and Alex Guerrero kept the Dodgers from scoring.

In the bottom of the second, Joc Pederson’s error on a misjudged fly ball cost the Dodgers a run. With one out, Aramis Ramirez singled. After Scooter Gennett whiffed, Jean Segura’s room service fly ball to center eluded Joc. Apparently he lost the ball because of the roof. The ball went in and out of his glove as he fell down and flopped around like a fish out of water. Ramirez scored and the Brewers were up 1-0. Joc made a rookie mistake, and that’s ok. He’s going to make some of those. He’s still learning on the job.

Nothing much happened until the top of the fifth. The Dodgers had a golden chance to score, but stranded a lead-off double from Grandal. Guerrero and Greinke grounded out, and Pederson lined out to Ryan Braun in right field.

Greinke allowed a lead-off single to Gennett in the bottom of the fifth, but whiffs Segura and Garza to get out of it.

The Dodgers finally get on the board in the sixth frame. Kendrick singles to right, and Gonzo walks. That sets up Justin Turner’s three-run bomb to center. The Dodgers take the lead 3-1!

Greinke responds by getting a 123 inning in the bottom of the sixth on three consecutive looping outs. The Dodgers break the game open against right hander Rob Wooten in the top of the seventh. Greinke doubles over Carlos Gomez’s head and then scores on the home run from Rollins. He even does a pretty cool bat flip. Puig would have been proud.

With two outs and still in the top of the seventh, Kendrick walks and then scores on Gonzalez’s mammoth home run. Gonzo’s blast hits the Miller Lite ad just below the center field scoreboard. That gives him nine home runs this season already.

Greinke gets Adam Lind to ground into a double play in the bottom of the seventh. Greinke almost got through the eighth inning, but had to be removed with two outs. He got Segura to ground out, struck out Maldonado. Then he walked old friend, pinch-hitter Elian Herrera. Elian actually lost track of the count, and Greinke had to remind him that it was ball four, by flashing four fingers at him. Zack Greinke is a good sport. 

Live Feed

Call to the Pen

Pedro Baez was called in to retire Gomez. He does by whiffing him to end the inning. The Dodgers got an extra run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from Turner. Daniel Coulombe who is getting optioned down tomorrow for Joe Wieland pitched the bottom of the ninth and gave up one run on one hit and a walk. The final out was recorded on a soft grounder to third from Jason Rogers.

A couple of quick notes before I sign off. Apparently Grandal got some kind of leg cramp during the game. Medical Director Stan Conte rubbed some icy hot on the area to keep it loose, and that appeared to work. Grandal stayed in and played the entire game. Grandal is expected to play tomorrow, according to the catcher himself.

The Dodgers have decided that Joe Wieland will start Wednesday with Carlos Frias on Thursday afternoon. Since they have to call up Wieland from Oklahoma City, a roster move needs to be made. I expect Daniel Coulombe will be the guy sent down to clear room for Wieland.

The Dodgers improve to 17-9 overall and 4-7 on the road. The club maintains their three game lead in the NL West. The Dodgers are 15-0 when scoring four or more runs this season. Color me impressed!

That’s about it for tonight. Join us Wednesday afternoon as Joe Wieland makes his Dodger debut against right hander Wily Peralta at 5:10 PM.

Go Blue!