Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dodgers top Royals
All-Star rookie Cody Bellinger drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run in the 10th inning and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory. The Dodgers (60-29) reached the 60-win mark before the All-Star break for the first time since 1974.
LOS ANGELES — All-Star rookie Cody Bellinger drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run in the 10th inning and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory.
The Dodgers (60-29) reached the 60-win mark before the AllStar break for the first time since 1974. They are just the third team in franchise history to do so since 1933, joining the 1973 and ‘74 squads that had 63 wins each.
Royals reliever Scott Alexander (1-3) loaded the bases on consecutive walks to Chase Utley, Corey Seager and Justin Turner leading off the inning. He was replaced by Kelvin Herrera.
With the infield drawn in, fans chanted “Cody! Cody!” as Bellinger worked a full count before walking to force in Utley.
Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer in the second for the Dodgers, who blew a 3-0 lead before tying the game 4-all on Bellinger’s 25th homer in the eighth.
Ross Stripling (1-3) got the win with one strikeout on 14 pitches in the 10th.
Salvador Perez hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the eighth off Pedro Baez, giving Kansas City a 4-3 lead.
In the fifth, Whit Merrifield of the Royals doubled with two outs. He took second on Brandon McCarthy’s wild pitch and scored on a passed ball by Yasmani Grandal, who left in the top of the seventh because of a left hand contusion.
Dodgers starter McCarthy allowed two runs — one earned — and six hits, struck out one and walked two in his first start since June 25. He was reinstated from the DL earlier in the day after being sidelined with right knee tendinitis.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked one.
The Royals closed to 3-2 with runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Perez’s RBI single capped a stretch in the fourth when McCarthy allowed three consecutive singles and a walk.
Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain was ejected in the seventh for arguing a called third strike with the bases loaded and the game tied 3-all.
YANKEES 5, BREWERS 3 Clint Frazier helped the Yankees solve Milwaukee’s Brent Suter after the left-hander baffled New York. Frazier pulled a three-run home run off Corey Knebel with one out in the ninth inning, lifting the Yankees over the Brewers for a walk-off bash in the Bronx.