Field Level Media
Aug 29, 2020
Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy ripped home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the reeling Texas Rangers 7-4 on Saturday in the middle of a three-game interleague series between the teams in Arlington, Texas.
The victory was the 14th in the past 17 games for Los Angeles, which, at 25-10, has the best record in the Major Leagues.
Texas, which won the opener of this series on Friday, lost for the 11th time in its past 13 outings.
Dodgers starter Ross Stripling lasted just four innings and faced two batters in the fifth before the Los Angeles bullpen took over. Blake Treinen (3-1), the first of five Los Angeles relievers, hurled 1 1/3 innings to earn the win. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his ninth save of the year.
The Dodgers got an unearned run off Texas starter Lance Lynn in the second inning when AJ Pollock's double was mishandled in left field by Texas' Shin-Soo Choo, allowing Matt Beaty to score from first base.
Los Angeles added to its lead in the third inning on Bellinger's two-run home run, his ninth of the year.
The Rangers answered in the bottom of the third, as Ronald Guzman and Leody Taveras hit back-to-back homers on the first two pitches of the frame from Stripling, pulling to within 3-2.
Los Angeles expanded its lead to 4-2 in the fifth on Muncy's sacrifice fly that allowed Austin Barnes to score. The Rangers responded in the bottom of the inning on Choo's sac fly to plate Guzman.
Guzman had three hits and scored three times for Texas in the loss.
Muncy's three-run blast, off Taylor Hearn in the seventh, boosted the Dodgers' lead to 7-3. Texas scored an unearned run in the seventh to claw back to within three runs.
Lynn (4-1) allowed more than two runs for the first time in his eight starts this season. He gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits in six innings of work while striking out six and walking three.
--Field Level Media