The Dodgers had little answer on Saturday for Kris Medlen, who had his way both on the mound and at the plate in the Braves' 2-1 victory at Dodger Stadium. The loss thwarted the Dodgers' two-game winning streak.
Stephen Fife faced his eighth different team in eight big league starts, and his Saturday outing might have been the best of them all. Fife pitched into the seventh and allowed just two runs while striking out seven and walking one. The 6⅔ innings by Fife made this the longest start of his career.
The only runs came in the fifth inning, when Dan Uggla and Medlen each hit solo home runs in a three-batter spab.
The Dodgers were spared any further carnage in the fifth inning thanks to the amazing Yasiel Puig. Jason Heyward singled to right field and Andrelton Simmons tried to advance from first to third base. That was not a wise choice, as Puig unleashed a cannon to nail Simmons by a mile.
Nick Punto led off the sixth inning with a double to left center field, but ended up stranded at third as Medlen retired the heart of the order — Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke — in order.
Puig started a rally in the eighth inning with an infield single, complete with an unnecessary and potentially dangerous headfirst slide into first base. That eventually led to a run when Hanley Ramirez, pinch hitting for Andre Ethier, lined a single to center field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Dodgers put the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, but Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless frame for his 18th save of the season for Atlanta. Puig was left waiting in the on-deck circle.
Notes
- Puig went 2-for-4 on the night, his fourth multi-hit game in six major league contests, and is hitting .435/.458/1.000.
- Schumaker went 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games, matching Matt Kemp for the longest by a Dodger in 2013. During the 14-game streak, which has actually lasted 18 games (including four games with no plate appearances), Schumaker is hitting .435 (20-for-46).
- Ramirez, with his tight left hamstring, was replaced at first base in the eighth inning by pinch runner Clayton Kershaw. Yes, Kershaw, making the first pinch running appearance of his career.
- Fife has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his eight major league starts.
- The home run for Medlen was the first of his career, and came in his 110the career plate appearance.
- Peter Moylan pitched a scoreless eighth inning in his first time facing his former Atlanta mates. Since joining the Dodgers, Moylan has four scoreless appearances totaling 3⅔ innings.
- Mark Ellis, who entered the game in the seventh inning but did not start, is hitless in his last 17 at-bats.
Saturday particulars
Home runs: Dan Uggla (11), Kris Medlen (1)
WP - Kris Medlen (3-6): 6⅔ IP, 5 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
LP - Stephen Fife (1-1): 6⅔ IP, 9 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Sv - Craig Kimbrel (18): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts