The Chicago Cubs (17-9) came into the series against the Dodgers (17-9) red hot having won nine straight games, their longest winning streak in 10 years. The Cubs couldn’t touch Emmet Sheehan in the series opener Friday at Dodger Stadium, but as soon as he came out Chicago pounced on the L.A. bullpen and scored six unanswered runs for the 6-4 comeback win.
Sheehan’s slider stifled the Chicago batters in the series opener, and he started the night with two perfect innings and four strikeouts. Ultimately, Sheehan wasn’t involved in the decision but struck out 10 in 6 1/3 and on 101 pitches in his most dominant start of the season.
With two outs in the third, Will Smith powered an opposite field three-run home run off a Taillon four-seam fastball to give the Dodgers the first lead of the game.
The first base hit of the night against Sheehan, a ground-rule double, came off the bat of old friend Michael Busch in the top of the fourth.
Andy Pages continues to impress. Busch tested the arm of Pages for some unknown reason with a three-run deficit. Alex Bregman singled to center, and Pages charged and fired a bullet to cut down Busch at the plate. Smith made a great tag as well to preserve the shutout for Sheehan.
It was the first outfield assist for Pages on the season but likely not the last.
Hyeseong Kim drove in Max Muncy, again with two outs, to tack on a fourth run for the Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth.
The Cubbies had runners at the corners with one out in the sixth looking to battle back. The Chicago batters adjusted, waiting on Sheehan’s slider. Dansby Swanson was hit by a pitch, and Busch singled him to third with his second hit of the game.
Sheehan earned his ninth strike out of the night when Bregman swung through a slider. Whiff No. 10 came from an ABS challenge initiated by Smith. Once again Smith used ABS to snag an extra strike back. Ian Happ went down on strikes, and the Cubs remained off the board through six.
It was the calm before the Chicago storm. After Sheehan was relieved in the seventh the Cubs attacked a shaky Dodgers pen.
Alex Vesia came in to take over for Sheehan with one out, and he was unable to hold off the late-inning Chicago offense. Vesia walked Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Swanson tripled to center field. Pages crashed against the wall, but he was unable to make the catch. Two runs came in to break up the shutout and put the Cubs right back in the game.
Nico Hoerner singled in Swanson, and all of a sudden it was a one-run game. Vesia reared back to strike out Busch and prevent the Cubs from tying the game at least momentarily.
Defense was on display by the Cubs in the home half of the seventh. Pages received a taste of his own medicine when he was thrown out in an attempt to stretch a double into a triple. Hoerner also dazzled with the glove to get the speedy Kim out at first.
Alex Freeland singled with two outs against Ryan Rolison to extend the inning and bring up Ohtani. The arguably slumping slugger struck out for the third time on the night.
Alex Bregman hit a bomb off Blake Treinen in the eighth to tie it 4-4. Happ singled. Moisés Ballesteros doubled but was thrown out at the plate by Kim’s relay from Pages. Another spot-on tag from Smith erased another run at the plate to keep it tied.
Tanner Scott continued to mightily struggle on the mound this year. Swanson completed the onslaught on the L.A. bullpen with a two-run home run to seal the deal on the come-from-behind victory.
The Cubs are going to be a problem.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Will Smith (3), Alex Bregman (3), Dansby Swanson (6)
WP — Ryan Rolison (1-0): 3 IP, 2 hits, no runs, no walks, 1 strikeout (35 pitches)
LP — Tanner Scott (0-1): 2/3 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, no walks, no strikeouts (17 pitches)
Sv — Corbin Martin (1): 1 IP, 1 strikeout
Up next
Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.11 ERA, 1.87 WHIP) looks for a dominant start after failing to find consistency as a starter thus far this season (4:15 p.m.; FOX). Colin Rea (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) starts for Chicago.
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