Recap: Andre Ethier Leads With 5 Hits As Dodgers Tee Off For Big Win
Realmuto hit a ball off Boslinger and reached safely to start the fifth. Bolsinger then handled a comebacker off the bat of Adeiny Hechavarria and started a double play. The Dodgers’ right-hander completed the scoreless inning by striking out Haren.
For seemingly the first time since the first few games of the season, Rollins had luck on his side as he dropped a bloop single out of Hechavarria’s reach to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Rollins took second on Haren’s wild pitch and it was compounded by Kendrick hitting a grounder that only resulted in one out and not a potential double play.
After Haren hit Gonzalez with a pitch, Alex Guerrero lined an RBI double off the top of the left field that extended the Dodgers lead to 3-1 and left runners on the corners. Grandal drove in another run and after retiring Ethier, Haren was removed from the game.
Brad Hand came on in relief and promptly gave up an two-run double to Van Slyke before the inning came to an end with the Dodgers leading, 6-1. Bolsinger allowed consecutive one-out singles and exited after getting Marcell Ozuna to ground into a force out.
Paco Rodriguez entered with two runners in scoring position that were stranded by Yelich, who went down swinging. Rollins and Kendrick hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the sixth before Hand allowed an RBI double to Gonzalez.
Guerrero and Ethier added RBI singles, with Ethier’s pushing the Dodgers’ lead to 10-1 and knocking Hand out of the game. Nick Masset was the next relief pitcher out of the Marlins bullpen and he gave up a sacrifice fly to Van Slyke.
Sergio Santos issued a two-out walk in the seventh and Juan Nicasio did the same in the eighth, but the Marlins failed to capitalize either time. Ethier moved to 5-for-5 on the night with a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth.
Tuesday marked Ethier’s third career five-hit game and first since he did so against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 5, 2008. Van Slyke also singled off Bryan Morris in the inning, but the Dodgers didn’t add to their 11-1 lead.
J.P. Howell easily got through the ninth to finish off the Dodgers’ victory that had long been well in hand. The series win was the Dodgers’ 10th straight at home, which set a new Los Angeles franchise record.
[divide]Dee Gordon Doesn’t Harbor Bad Feelings Toward The Dodgers
Where are all the Ethier and Grandal haters? Where’s the “offense will be anemic” crowd?
It was really good to see the team score runs on something other than homers for a change.
Kudos to Friedman and Co for putting together a solid, deep team.