The Dodgers took a loss on Saturday but came back to power a 9-1 win in the rubber match on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
Randy Wolf was on the losing end of the stick on Saturday, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits through six, though he did also notch seven K’s. Hong-Chih Kuo also tossed a perfect inning, and has still yet to be scored on in 3 2/3 innings since his return off the DL.
Wolf pitched just as well as Derek Lowe, who also gave up three earned runs and went six innings. Casey Blake and James Loney knocked in a run apiece in the two-run fourth inning to take the lead. After the Braves tied it up, Andre Ethier drove a go-ahead solo homerun in the sixth to knock Lowe out of the game. The Dodgers didn’t put any runners on base after that inning though, and took the loss.
Chad Billingsley had another fantastic outing for his eleventh win of the season. He went five innings, giving up just two hits while fanning nine. He was lifted after five for Elbert, who tossed 2 2/3 scorless innings before allowing the Braves to score their lone run in the eighth.
The Dodgers managed to jump on Braves’ starter Jair Jurrjens, who has otherwise been a solid man in their rotation this season. Jurrjens blanked the Dodgers until the fifth, when they rallied for four runs, keyed by a three- run shot by Matt Kemp. The Dodgers added a run in the sixth before rallying for three more in the eighth, including another two RBIs from Matt Kemp. Ethier and Loney also had three hits like Kemp, with Loney driving in two runs.
The Dodgers head back to LA to open a series with the Brewers. Clayton Kershaw will take the hill and face Manny Parra, who is 5-8 with a 6.50 ERA. Since the beginning of June, Kershaw is 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA.
