Rangers Beat Kershaw & the Dodgers 5-3
Rookie Joey Gallo hammered a two-run homer - his fifth of the season - to help the Texas Rangers jump out to a 4-0 lead against reigning National League Cy Young Award win and Most Valuable Player Clayton Kershaw.
Prince Fielder added a solo homer in the ninth for and insurance run in Texas’ 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine Wednesday.
Starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez set the table for Gallo leading off the third with a single. The next two batters struck out, then the first pitch Gallo saw at his at-bat wound up in the right-field seats.
"I can hit a little bit," Rodriguez, a career .133 hitter, said. "He threw one down the middle and I swung."
Kershaw allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits and one walk while striking out 10 in his six innings of work.
Kershaw (5-4) was 4-0 in his last eight Interleague starts and 9-0 in his last 10 starts in June.
"He's an outstanding pitcher," said Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder. "You just have to go up there and grind it out. It's not like he's going to throw mistakes so you just have to do what you can."
Rodriguez picked up the win, improving his record to 4-2. He gave up three earned runs on nine hits and two walks with only one strike out in only 5 1/3 innings.
L.A. left runners stranded at third in three of the first four innings. The Dodgers were 2-for 12 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
Left-handed reliever Sam Freeman saved Rodriguez’s bacon in the sixth sixth after Rodriguez allowed three runs. Freeman entered the game with two on and one out in the inning. Facing two left-handed hitters and trying to hold a 4-3 lead, Freeman struck out Joc Pederson and retired Adrian Gonzalez on a grounder to first. Freeman stayed in the game in the seventh and retired the side in order.
"We haven't been able to string anything together offensively," said Dodger catcher A.J. Ellis “We had some pretty good swings today to get us back in the game. Right now, it's hard to finish the thing off."
In his return from the disabled list Los Angeles outfielder Scott Van Slyke doubled and had a two-run homer in the sixth to put L.A. on the board.
Keone Kela came on for the Rangers in the ninth and allowed a base-on-balls but was able to secure his first career save.
"It was a great experience. My family was here, it was fun,” Kela said.
Texas goes for the four-game sweep against the Dodgers Thursday. They , are 61-38 against the National League since the beginning of 2010. That is a .616 winning percentage that is the best by an American League team in Interleague Play in that stretch. Overall the Rangers are 21-8 in their last 29 games.
First pitch for Thursday’s game is slated for 9:10 CDT.
Texas will recall Anthony Ranaudo (0-1, 32.40 Earned Run Average) from Round Rock (PCL) to start. Ranaudo was 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 starts for the Express and had a 2.00 ERA in his last six starts.
Los Angeles is expected to give the ball to former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke (5-2, 1.95).