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A close game is not where you want to be when facing the Athletics this season. The A’s rallied to break a tie in the bottom of the eighth for their 22nd win in one-run games.
After two singles placed runners at first and third with one out, Dodgers’ reliever J.T. Chargois induced a ground ball to third. Manny Machado came up throwing to the plate but Yasmani Grandal couldn't hang on to the ball in what would’ve been an out tag. The run scored to give the A’s what they needed to win the game by the score of 3-2.
The seesaw nature of the National League West standings continues with the Dodger loss, giving Arizona the lead once again. It could be some kind of race with less than 50 games to go in the regular season.
The Dodgers were up 16 games in the division after 115 games last year.
Clayton Kershaw would settle for his seventh no-decison after giving up two runs over six innings. Both would score in the fourth inning after there were two outs.
One strike away from getting out of the inning unscathed, Stephen Piscotty lined a 3-2 fastball into center field to give the A’s a run. On the very next pitch, Ramon Laureano popped one into no man’s land in shallow right, falling in for a base hit and a 2-0 lead.
With six innings tonight, Kershaw has now lasted at least six in seven straight starts. First time he has done that since nine straight from June 2 to July 18 last season. The strange part is that Kershaw struck out just one hitter — only the third time in his career he had one or fewer.
The last time Clayton Kershaw failed to strikeout at least 2 batters in a game was 2,946 days ago or 8 years and 24 days ago. It's just 3rd time in his career he's struck out 1 or fewer batters in a game. Previous 2 times (7/15/2010 - K, 09/28/08 - 0 Ks). #Dodgers #Athletics
— Bill Arnold (@sfgwire) August 9, 2018
.@alannarizzo caught up with @ClaytonKersh22 to discuss his 6 innings of work in tonight's #Dodgers loss to the A's. pic.twitter.com/N1wDOudFqQ
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 9, 2018
Oakland started their new acquisition Wednesday, a familiar face for those that remember when Mike Fiers no-hit the Dodgers back on August 21, 2015 as a member of the Astros. Fiers was perfect through four to start his time with the A’s.
It wouldn’t be until Grandal led off the Fifth that the Dodgers would break through. It would come with a no-doubt homer to the right field corner to pull Los Angeles within a run. Two more Dodgers would reach in the fifth but Fiers would get out of the inning without any further damage.
The Dodgers were able to pull even in the seventh against one of the toughest relievers in baseball this year. Rookie Lou Trivino had allowed just seven runs in 54 1⁄3 innings in 2018 before an RBI-single off the bat of Chris Taylor.
The two clubs split both of the two-game series they played this season.
Up Next
The Dodgers head to Colorado for four games with one of the teams chasing them in the NL West. Ross Stripling (8-3, 2.68) will come off the DL to face lefty Tyler Anderson (6-4, 4.05).
Wednesday particulars
Home runs: Grandal (20)
WP - Jeurys Famila (7-4): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts
LP - J.T. Chargois (2-3): 1 1⁄3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run (0 earned)
SV - Blake Treinen (29): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts