A-Gon, Pederson power Dodgers past Marlins
LOS ANGELES -- Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Joc Pederson homered, as the Dodgers beat the Marlins, 6-3, on Sunday afternoon to win a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
"When you see pitchers grinding through our lineup, there's traffic created, and we've been getting big hits," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "And today, Adrian came up with some big hits for us."
Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy didn't allow a baserunner until Derek Dietrich doubled with two outs in the fifth. A.J. Ellis, a former Dodgers catcher appearing in his first game as a visitor at Chavez Ravine, followed with an RBI single for his first RBI of the year.
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But that was all the Marlins could muster off McCarthy, who turned in a quality start of six innings to earn his fourth win in seven starts. He struck out five against one walk to improve to 2-0 in three starts at home.
"I liked his aggressiveness. He filled up the strike zone and was getting ahead of hitters with the fastball, the breaking ball," Roberts said. "He was relentless today."
Dee Gordon, another former Dodger, had two hits and scored Miami's second run. Justin Bour homered in the ninth off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, his third homer of the series.
"You just have to play it out," Gordon said. "You have to go play. You can't say anything on paper or how we're built or how we're set up. You have to play against other Major Leaguers, and that's what you got to do."
Vance Worley started for the Marlins, making his club debut, and allowed three runs in four innings. Gonzalez recorded both of his doubles off Worley, who surrendered a solo shot to Pederson to lead off the fourth. Gonzalez added a run-scoring single in the fifth, and Brett Eibner delivered a pinch-hit single to bring in two more in the sixth on a ball that skipped off Dietrich's glove at third.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
McCarthy escapes jam: Trailing by three runs, the Marlins had McCarthy on the ropes in the sixth. Gordon doubled and Christian Yelich walked to bring the tying run to the plate with one out. But the Marlins couldn't capitalize, as McCarthy got both No. 3 hitter Marcell Ozuna and cleanup man Giancarlo Stanton to ground out to shortstop Corey Seager.
"I think we helped him a little bit," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I felt like we got out of the strike zone a little bit. In general, he kept us off balance."
Two outs, no problem: Gonzalez drove in all three of his runs with two outs. He doubled home Cody Bellinger and Yasmani Grandal in the first, as Worley surrendered three consecutive hits after getting two quick outs in his first Major League start since September. Gonzalez delivered again in the fifth with a two-out single to the opposite field off left-handed reliever Jarlin Garcia, as Grandal scored again following his second double and third hit of the game. More >
QUOTABLE
"I'm just glad I didn't die." -- Gordon, on almost colliding with Stanton on a shallow fly ball in right field in the eighth
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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Enrique Hernandez hit his 12th double of the season on Sunday and has 84 at-bats in 2017. No other MLB player with at least 11 doubles has fewer than 119 at-bats.
WHAT'S NEXT
Marlins: Following an off-day Monday, the Marlins return to action Tuesday with the opener of a two-game Interleague series against the A's. It's Miami's first trip to Oakland since 2011. Right-hander Jose Urena starts the 10:05 p.m. ET game for the Marlins.
Dodgers: Los Angeles has an off-day Monday before welcoming St. Louis to Dodger Stadium for a three-game set with the club closest behind them in the National League Wild Card standings. Clayton Kershaw will deliver the first pitch Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT.
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