Triple Down Economics: Dodgers Win Series in Kansas City

The Dodgers finished up their winning road trip going 4-2 after winning 2 of 3 in Kansas City. A huge win on Wednesday night against the Royals really tested the Dodgers’ defense and bullpen. The Dodger bullpen had a great game after Dan Haren allowed his customary 4 runs through a little over 4 innings. Jamey Wright pitched 2 2/3 of shutout ball, and Howell, League, and Wilson all were able to hold on and shut down the Royals for the remainder of the game. Wilson got a little help from Scott Van Slyke at first base who started a game-ending double play in the home half of the ninth. Wilson picked up his first save since 2012.

Dee Gordon went 4-for-4 again, and he was integral in the Dodgers’ five runs. Dee also picked up his 40th stolen base of the season. Matt Kemp

Jun 25, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp (27) reacts after being tagged out in the third inning at the plate against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

homered in the second to give the Dodgers their first run of the game. Dee Gordon and Yasiel Puig hit back-to-back triples in the third, and Gordon’s speed flustered Shields who committed a balk allowing Gordon to come home to score. Gonzo’s sac fly gave the Dodgers their second run of the third. Puig doubled home Gordon in the fifth for the Dodgers’ fourth run of the night, and the eventual winning run came in the eighth after Ethier came up with a clutch single which segued into A.J. Ellis‘s sacrificial hit-by-pitch. Dre scored on the Wade Davis mistake, and that would be enough for the Dodgers to edge out the Royals.

Kansas City fought until the end, and in the beginning took advantage of Dan Haren as Cain led off the game with a solo homerun. Moustakas singled in Gordon in the fourth. Dyson hit his first homerun of the season and his first homerun in a year in the fifth, and the Royals scored again on a Billy Butler ground out in the same frame. The Royals would be shut down the next four innings.

Dodgers 5 10 1

Royals 4 8 1

WP- Wright (3-2)

LP- Davis (5-2)

S- Wilson (1)

HR- Cain  (3), Kemp (8), Dyson (1)

Dee Gordon lines out softly to shortstop to start things off in the top of the first inning. Mike Moustakas makes another nice defensive play at third with a stop and a nice throw to first on a hard hit grounder by Yasiel Puig. James Shield strikes out Adrian Gonzalez on a 95-mph fastball to end the inning.

Dan Haren immediately serves up a lead-off homerun to Lorenzo Cain. The ball splashed down in the waterfall in left center field. Haren then walks Eric Hosmer. Not a great start here. The first out finally comes on a Billy Butler strikeout. Alex Gordon also strikes out. Omar Infante flies out to Ethier in center field, but the Royals take an early 1-0 lead.

No problem. The Dodgers tie it up in the second with a lead-off solo homerun to right center field from Matt Kemp. Ethier hits a ball deep to center, but Jarrod Dyson picks it off at the warning track. Another great defensive play by the Kansas City outfield. Justin Turner also flies out. Scott Van Slyke singles to center with two outs, but A.J. Ellis flies out to end the inning.

Haren settles down in the bottom of the second to pitch a 1-2-3 inning by retiring Mike Moustakas, Alicides Escobar, and Jarrod Dyson.

Jun 25, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon (9) connects for a triple in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Dee Gordon smashes a ball to right field over Cain’s head, and Dee easily flies into third for a one-out triple! That’s Dee’s ninth triple of the year. Then because Dee flustered Shields on the base path, a balk is called and Dee trots home for the Dodgers’ second run of the game. Then Yasiel Puig drives the ball to right field, and he keeps on going in time to make it all the way to third for a triple! Back-to-back triples is not something I can say I have seen. Adrian Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to left field allows Puig to skip home, and the Dodgers lead 3-0.

Brett Hayes reaches safely on a fielding error by Dee Gordon, but the mistake is erased after Cain grounds into a double play. Ethier has to go back a long way, but he is able to catch the fly ball hit by Hosmer against the wall for the final out of the second.

Dyson somersaults after catching Ethier’s soft liner to center to begin the fourth. Turner lines out to right, but Scott Van Slyke is hit by a pitch with two outs. A.J. grounds out to end the scoreless frame.

The Royals cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Billy Butler leads off with a single to right field. Alex Gordon grounds into a force out. Infante flies out. With Moustakas batting, Alex Gordon steals second. Moustakas singles to right, and the throw by Puig gets past Ellis at the plate as Gordon comes home to score. Moustakas ends up at second on the throw. Escobar strikes out to end the inning.

Gordon hits a scorcher which is deflected off Escobar’s glove and into center field for a one-out single in the fifth. With Puig in the box, Dee steals second. That’s Dee’s 40th stolen base on the season. Puig doubles to left field, and Gordon comes home easily. The Dodgers lead 4-2. Hosmer puts a stop to a grounder along the first base line by Gonzo for the second out. Puig moves over to third. Kemp grounds out, and the Dodgers strand Puig at third.

Jarrod Dyson proceeds to wallop a Haren meatball over the right field fence to lead-off the bottom of the fifth. That’s Dyson’s first homer of the season, and The Dodger lead is back to a thin one-run margin, 4-3. Cain singles to center with one out. Cain steals second with Hosmer at the plate. Haren ends up walking Hosmer anyways. That’s going to be all for Haren as Don Mattingly brings the hook. Jamey Wright will come in out of the Dodger bullpen. With Butler batting, a wild pitch by Wright allows Cain and Hosmer to advance to second and third. Butler grounds out to Miguel Rojas who makes a great defensive play to prevent both runs from scoring. Cain comes in to score, and KC ties the game up 4-4. The inning finally ends as Wright strikes out Alex Gordon, but it’s a whole new ballgame.

Dan Haren pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks on 92 pitches.

In the top of the sixth, Shields allows his first walk of the game to Turner with one out. Van Slyke flies out. Ellis grounds out. The Dodgers can’t muster anything off the right-hander in the frame.

The Royals threaten in the bottom of the sixth, but Wright is able to escape the jam with his veteran skills. Infante and Moustakas his back-to-back singles off Wright. Escobar pops out to second base. Wright strikes out Dyson. Hayes grounds out, and the Royals strand their two runners.

In the top of the seventh, with one out, Dee Gordon singles to short and he reaches second on a throwing error by Escobar which goes sailing past Hosmer at first. It’s all for naught as Gordon is mowed down at third by Hayes while Puig is batting. Shields rears back to strike out Puig to end the inning.

Jamey Wright is back on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Wright pitches a very nice 1-2-3 inning and strikes out both Hosmer and Butler.

Wade Davis will come out of the Kansas City bullpen for the top of the eighth inning. Adrian Gonzalez leads off with a single to right field. Kemp flies out. Andre Ethier singles to center, and Gonzo makes it to third. Justin Turner hits a ball right off the foot of Davis, and Gonzo is hung out to dry between third and home on the fielder’s choice. That was some really bad base running by Gonzo who should have stayed at third. Van Slyke draws a walk to load the bases for A.J. Ellis with two outs. A.J. Ellis has a really good at-bat against Davis who ends up hitting A.J. in the arm with a pitch. Ellis takes one for the team, and the Dodgers take a 5-4 lead! Rojas grounds out to first to end the inning, but they take a slim one-run lead going to the bottom half of the eighth.

James Shields pitched 7 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk on 107 pitches.

Jun 25, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brian Wilson (00) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The Dodgers won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

J.P. Howell will take the mound in the bottom of the eighth for the Dodgers. Howell strikes out Alex Gordon. Infante draws a one-out walk. Salvador Perez will pinch-hit for Moustakas. Mattingly will go to Brandon League to pitch to the big catcher. League strikes out Perez! Infante steals second base in the process. Mattingly briefly goes out to argue that there was interference from the batter on A.J.’s throw to second. Escobar grounds out to Turner at third, who makes a nice play for the third out.

The Dodgers will have their top of the order go to bat in the top of the ninth. Francisley Bueno, a lefty, comes out of the Kansas City bullpen. Gordon comes up with his fourth hit of the ninth to lead-off the inning, a single to left. Dyson has to go all the way back to the warning track in center to track down a ball hit by Puig for the first out. Gonzo grounds into the inning ending double play.

Brian Wilson will get the ball for the bottom of the ninth. Kenley Jansen has pitched in four out of the past five games. Wilson goes 3-2 on to Dyson, and he gets the third strike call for the first out! Danny Valencia gets a one-out single to right. Pedro Ciriaco will pinch-run for Valencia. With Cain at-bat, Ciriaco is caught stealing on a nice throw by A.J.! The Royals will challenge the call. The Royals win this one as the umps overturn the call and the out. Then Scott Van SWIPE makes a fantastic catch going up the ladder to snag Cain’s liner, and he turns around to throw to second to double up Ciriaco at second! Dodgers win on the game ending double play.

The Dodgers improve to 44-36 and remain 3 games back of the Giants. The Boys in Blue will now hop on a flight back to L.A. A four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals begins Thursday night and will feature Josh Beckett versus Adam Wainwright.