J.D. Martinez pounces on Tigers with two home runs, Dodgers ride to 8-3 win

The Dodgers carried the momentum they built in Seattle, coming home to tame the Tigers by a final score of 8-3 in the opener of a three-game set. The Dodgers rode two home runs from J.D. Martinez and another from Miguel Rojas to earn their 92nd win of the season, with Lance Lynn tossing five innings to earn his twelfth win of the season.

A Farewell to a Future Hall of Famer

In what will be his final trip to Dodger Stadium in his illustrious career, Tigers’ designated hitter Miguel Cabrera was honored before the first pitch. The 40-year old was presented with his own custom Walk of Fame star and a $5,000 donation to the Miguel Cabrera foundation.

Cabrera received a warm welcome from the crowd before his first at bat and ended his night going 1-4 with an opposite field single. That base hit tied Cabrera for 16th all time for the most hits in Major League history with future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre.

Martinez gets the best of former teammate Rodriguez

J.D. Martinez played the hero against his former team and former Red Sox teammate Eduardo Rodriguez, connecting for his 27th home run of the season to lead off the second inning.

To add to his offensive prowess, Martinez decided to give the Dodgers some breathing room, connecting for his second home run of the game— a three run shot that gave the Dodgers a five run lead in the third inning. Martinez finished with a season-high five RBI on the night.

Even Miguel Rojas joined in on the home run parade, connecting for his fifth home run of the season. All five long balls have come since August 2 and his second in his past four games.

Lynn falters in fifth, bullpen shuts down the door

Lance Lynn was looking his best through the first four innings, limiting extra base hits allowed and preventing any home runs from being hit. Lynn balanced his inflated pitch count with an abundance of strikeouts, punching out the side in the first and third innings.

Lynn would run into trouble in the fifth inning, surrendering a three run home run to Tigers catcher Jake Rogers to put Detroit on the scoreboard.

Alex Vesia came in to relieve Lynn, shutting out the Tigers in the sixth inning while tossing just nine pitches. Fellow southpaw reliever Caleb Ferguson followed in Lynn’s footsteps by striking out the side in a scoreless seventh inning.

Shelby Miller tossed a perfect eighth and Joe Kelly slammed the door in the ninth inning, leaving the Tigers without a baserunner after Rogers left the yard in the fifth. In total, Dodgers pitchers struck out 13 and retired the final 13 Detroit sent to the plate, securing the 8-3 victory.

Monday particulars

WP — Lance Lynn (12-11): 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K

LP — Eduardo Rodriguez (11-9): 3+ IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Dodgers home runs — Martinez (27, 28), Rojas (5)

Tigers home runs — Rogers (20)

Up Next

The Dodgers will look to win their fifth straight game and their second straight series win Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PDT and will be televised on SportsNet L.A.