Field Level Media
Apr 21, 2018
Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed seven scoreless innings Saturday night while Joc Pederson, Kike Hernandez and Cody Bellinger each walloped homers as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Washington Nationals 4-0 on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
In winning his third straight start, Ryu (3-0) permitted just two hits, walking three and fanning eight. Trea Turner and Matt Wieters each managed harmless singles off Ryu, who threw 58 of his 89 pitches for strikes.
Stephen Strasburg (2-2) pitched well enough to win on most nights. In seven innings, the right hander ceded only five hits and two runs, issuing two walks and striking out 10.
His two mistakes decided the game. In the second, Pederson pounced on a 1-0 fastball, powering it 415 feet over the wall in center to celebrate his 26th birthday with his first homer of the year.
Hernandez upped the margin to two in the seventh, pinch-hitting for Ryu and powdering a high, inside fastball well into the bleachers in left field for his second homer of the season.
Bellinger supplied insurance in the eighth with his third homer, drilling a 0-2 cutter from reliever Carlos Torres 409 feet to right field with Yasmani Grandal aboard following a walk.
Washington (10-11) missed on its only real scoring threat in the third. Turner singled with one out before Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman drew two-out walks. But Moises Sierra got jammed by a 1-0 cutter and grounded to short to leave the bases loaded.
The Dodgers (9-10) failed on a decent scoring chance in the fifth. Yasiel Puig singled with two outs and swiped second base, but that allowed Strasburg to intentionally walk Max Muncy and take his chances with Ryu. A 2-2 curveball left Ryu at the plate with bat on shoulder as Strasburg headed for the dugout.
Los Angeles wasted a better opportunity in the sixth. Chris Taylor singled, Corey Seager walked and Grandal was plunked to fill the bases with no outs. But Strasburg stranded all three by fanning Bellinger, Pederson and Matt Kemp.
--Field Level Media