Dodgers snap 42-inning scoreless road streak
Kendrick hits RBI single in sixth inning during win vs. Cardinals
ST. LOUIS -- On a Saturday night they made history for the wrong reason, the Dodgers came away with the last laugh and reclaimed first place in the National League West. The Dodgers sprung to life in the sixth inning, one frame after reaching a franchise-worst streak of consecutive scoreless innings on the road, and left Busch Stadium with a 5-1 win.
When Dodgers pitcher Carlos Frias grounded out to end the top of the fifth, Los Angeles completed its 42nd straight scoreless inning of road baseball, surpassing the franchise's previous record set by the 1908 squad. That team was held scoreless for 41 innings in the midst of a 22-game road trip through six cities.
Three hits by the Dodgers in the sixth, capped by Yasmani Grandal's three-run homer, broke up Cardinals starter Michael Wacha's no-hit bid, ended the scoreless streak and ultimately gave Wacha his first loss of the season.
Video: LAD@STL: Grandal's home run tracked through Statcast™
"I didn't even think about it until somebody asked me yesterday about the four [shutouts] in a row on the road," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of the scoreless road streak, which also encompassed Friday night's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Giants spanning May 19-21. "It was good to put a few runs on the board."
Justin Turner doubled off the right-field wall with one out in the sixth for the Dodgers' first hit of the night before Howie Kendrick singled him home from the cleanup spot to end the streak and tie the game at 1.
In his first game back from the seven-day disabled list, Grandal proceeded to give the Dodgers everything else they needed by swatting a Wacha fastball over the fence in right-center field to make the score 4-1.
"The first two at-bats my hands weren't getting to the right spot," Grandal said. "I was just missing pitches, swinging under them. I was just trying to get my timing back, and it just so happened that [Wacha] made a mistake, probably the only mistake he made all night, and I was able to capitalize on it."