Jeff Birney
Dodgers End 1st Half with Series Win Against Halos
The Dodgers finished the 1st half of the 2018 season in 1st place, taking two of three from the Angels in the final game of a three-game series in Los Angeles Sunday.
Sunday’s game was the first of the series to be won by more than one run, as Clayton Kershaw went to the seventh inning and threw over 100 pitches, the only runs coming off a three-run shot from Jefry Marte in the fourth. Yasmani Grandal and Enrique Hernandez both got ringing solo shots in the second and seventh innings, Kike’s being the tie breaker.
Andrew Toles went on to single in the eighth to bring Cody Bellinger in to get the Dodger’s final run of the game.
The Dodgers won, 5-3.
As we go into the All Star break Dodger’s pitching continues to get healthy, putting Dave Roberts in a position to have to drop a starter to keep a traditional five-man rotation. Kenta Maeda has done well from the bullpen (as he showed again during Sunday’s game,) but at this point, who gets pushed is purely speculation.
Matt Kemp, Kenley Jansen and Ross Stripling are all headed to D.C. for the All Star game while Max Muncy got a well-deserved spot in the Home Run Derby.
The second half of the season starts with the Dodgers on the road in Milwaukee to face the Brewers for three before heading east for a series against the Phillies. Expect a little noise when Chase Utley gets up to bat.
