Dodgers walk off in extras with 4-3 win over Cubs

The Dodgers’ bats seemed like they couldn’t quite get traction against Keegan Thompson and the Cubs’ bullpen, but they found a way to come back with an one-run extra-innings win on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Will Smith drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th, and the Dodgers walked off with a victory for the second time in the past week.

Dodger Stadium. Despite another relatively solid start by Tyler Anderson (7 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 4 K, 0 BB), the L.A. lineup stocked with two starting National League All-Stars went 0-for-8 with RISP. Mookie Betts and Trea Turner went a combined 0-for-9 with 4 strikeouts, but both contributed in other ways.

Tyler Anderson stays hot

The Dodgers’ starting pitching has been in a remarkably dominant stretch. Tyler Anderson has been a huge part of the starting pitching squad’s success.

Anderson’s changeup was effective right out of the gate and had the Chicago lineup off balance. The lefty shut down the Cubs 1-2-3 in the first on eight pitches, striking out Christopher Morel and Ian Happ. Home plate umpire Ryan Additon had a generous strike zone to say the least, and that didn’t help either offense.

Bases loaded bust

The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the second. Will Smith was the first base runner of the night when he dunked a single into right field to open the frame. Thompson walked Max Muncy and hit Jake Lamb to bring up Cody Belinger. Thompson got a big out when he got Bellinger to chase a breaking ball. Gavin Lux’s fly ball felt farther in my heart, but instead was the third out. The Dodgers were OPS’ing .677 with the bases loaded coming into the game.

It was a scoreless pitchers’ duel until the fifth. Nico Hoerner took an Anderson changeup deep for a solo home run off the wall to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

Ian Happ-ens

Three straight hits to open the sixth inning against Anderson gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Two singles, a wild pitch and a two-RBI Ian Happ double later extended the Cubs’ lead by two.

The Dodgers were finally able to squeeze out a run in the sixth. Freddie Freeman’s two-out double snapped Keegan’s streak of 14 consecutive retired batters. Then a rare missed catch on a routine Will Smith fly ball to right field by Seiya Suzuki allowed Freeman to score.

Jake Lamb, designated hitter, got the Dodgers within a run with a solo home run off Chris Martin in the seventh. It was Lamb’s first homer of the season and his first in Dodger Blue.

Yency Almonte pitched a scoreless eighth, and Caleb Ferguson made his return from the injured list in the top of the ninth.

David Robertson loaded the bases for Betts in the ninth. That was a costly mistake. Justin Turner led off with a single, and Lamb drew a walk thanks to another questionable call by the ump. Bellinger got on board on a Fielder’s Choice, and Lux walked. Betts battled Robertson on a 0-2 count for a while, but his long sac fly ultimately got the tying run in.

Where There’s a Will There’s a Way

Freeman made a great play at first base to stretch and get the final out in the 10th. Then Will Smith, with ice in his veins, drove in Trea Turner from second on a RBI single to left off Cubs’ reliever Rowan Wick.

WP — Evan Phillips (3-3): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

LP — Rowan Wick (1-4): 0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

HR — Hoerner (5), Lamb (1)

Stolen Base Count: 57

Up next

Clayton Kershaw (5-2, 2.57 ERA, 2.85 FIP) makes his 11th start for the Dodgers this season. Marcus Stroman (2-5, 5.32 ERA, 4.16 FIP) is set to return from the injured list (right shoulder inflammation) to start Saturday for the Cubs.

First pitch from Dodger Stadium is at 7:10 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA.