Dodgers roar back in slugfest vs. Brewers

LOS ANGELES -- It took more than an hour and a half to get through the first three innings, but the Dodgers eventually came away victors in a 10-6 slugfest against the Brewers Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The offense was driven by strong nights from Joc Pederson, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez.
The teams combined for 25 hits on a night when neither starter made it past the third inning. Turner cranked his third home run in two days with a three-run shot in a six-run third while Pederson, getting his first start at leadoff of the season, pulled a ball into the right-field bleachers in the sixth. Pederson's long ball moved him into second place on the Dodgers in homers with 12, between roommates Corey Seager (15) and Trayce Thompson (11).
"After we spot them [five], for these guys to keep fighting back says a lot about their character," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Guys are starting to swing the bats and there isn't any quit in the guys. Another big homer from [Turner] and big hits throughout the lineup. Lot of energy tonight."
• Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for #ASGWorthy players
On another night, the Brewers' offense might have been rewarded. Jonathan Villar, Aaron Hill and Ramon Flores had multi-hit nights while Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy contributed extra-base hits. The six runs scored is tied for the highest figure for the Brewers this season in a loss that didn't come in extra innings.
"It is a little odd. You don't expect runs like this at Dodger Stadium, generally," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Tonight, it was just an off night for both starting pitchers."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Turner stays scorching: As if two homers and a walk-off single Friday weren't enough, Turner's home run in the third tied the game and continued his ascent from early season struggles. The veteran was one of four Dodgers with two runs and posted a game-high 3 RBIs. In his last 12 games, Turner has raised his OPS 106 points.
"The game honors you and the way you prepare," Roberts said. "He did it again, he put us on his back again. That was a big, big three-run homer. The defense, that's always been consistent all year. It's good to see he's finally starting to get rewarded."

Singles night: Lucroy's RBI double put the Brewers on the board in the first inning, but after that it was all singles against Dodgers starter Mike Bolsinger. The Brewers hit five singles in the second inning for a 3-1 lead, then added three more base hits for two more runs in the third. Both third-inning runs scored on Flores' two-run single for a short-lived, 5-2 advantage.

Hatcher shells one: If there was a moment that summed up the game's first three innings, it was Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher getting his first career hit and RBI. The hard line drive to center scored Yasmani Grandal and gave the Dodgers an 8-5 lead. Hatcher then went first-to-third on a Pederson single, but was not able to score his first career run.
Hatcher's pitching wasn't all that bad either. The right-hander threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Bolsinger, even though Roberts had said before the game that he wanted to stay away from using Hatcher. More >

Home sweet home: Brewers left fielder Braun, who went to nearby Granada Hills High School, has hit safely in 21 of his 25 career games at Dodger Stadium after an opposite-field solo home run found the seats near the right field foul pole in the seventh. Braun is a .343 hitter here (34-for-99) with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.

QUOTABLE
"I guess every time a guy hits something hard we can question that. We could just throw him all fastballs if you want. He has hurt us. But the pitch [starter] Chase [Anderson] threw him, I don't think it was a bad pitch. It was down at the knees." -- Counsell, on Turner smacking another offspeed pitch. He hit curveballs for a tying home run and a walk-off single against Brewers relievers Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress on Friday night, then smacked Anderson's changeup for the three-run homer Saturday.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The teams needed 99 minutes to complete the first three innings, combining for 13 runs on 18 hits and scoring in every half inning. Most of that damage came against Anderson and Bolsinger, friends since boyhood who eagerly anticipated this matchup, only to see it go badly. Neither made it through the third inning, and, incredibly, each threw exactly 73 pitches, 44 strikes. More >

WHAT'S NEXT
Brewers:Matt Garza will make his second start since a season-opening stint on the disabled list when the Brewers and Dodgers finish their four-game series on Sunday beginning at 3:10 p.m. CT. Garza scattered eight hits in four innings in his season debut at San Francisco, but surrendered only one run in a no-decision.
Dodgers:Kenta Maeda's readiness for Sunday was in doubt after he took a line drive off the leg in his last start, but he's healed enough to take the mound at 1:10 p.m. PT. The Japanese right-hander holds a 2.75 ERA in 75 1/3 innings as a rookie.
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.