Sports

Dodgers Take First Game Of Freeway Series

July 31, 2015 / 10:11 PM PDT / KCAL News

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zack Greinke won his fifth straight decision, Howie Kendrick homered in his first game against his former team, and the Dodgers beat the Angels 5-3 Friday night in the opening game of the Freeway Series.

Rookie Alex Guerrero hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fourth inning in support of Greinke (10-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, who leads the majors with a 1.41 ERA, had his consecutive scoreless inning streak snapped at a career-best 45 2-3 innings last Sunday in a no-decision against the Mets at New York.

Greinke, who spent the final two months of the 2012 season down the freeway in Anaheim before joining the Dodgers as a free agent, improved his home record with them to 23-5. Clayton Kershaw was scheduled to pitch, but got pushed back another day after missing Wednesday's scheduled start against Oakland because of a sore left hip.

Kenley Jansen got his 18th save in 19 chances despite giving up Mike Trout's major league-leading 32nd homer leading off the ninth. The Dodgers' victory, coupled with San Francisco's loss at Texas, increased their NL West lead over the Giants to 1 1/2 games.

Trout also had an RBI triple and run-scoring single against Greinke. The reigning AL MVP homered against the right-hander leading off the All-Star Game, becoming the first player to earn All-Star MVP honors in consecutive years.

The Angels, who limped into Dodger Stadium after getting swept in a three-game set at Houston, have lost seven of their last eight following a seven-game winning streak. They trail the AL West-leading Astros by two games.

Hector Santiago (7-5) gave up five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings, after going 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA over his previous six starts.

Guerrero gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead with his 11th homer, driving a 1-1 pitch into the lower seats in the left field corner after an infield hit by Yasmani Grandal. Yasiel Puig and Grandal extended the margin to 5-1 with RBI singles in the fifth.

Kendrick, the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter, drove Santiago's sixth pitch of the game into the pavilion seats in left-center for his eighth homer.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his elbow. The move is retroactive to July 29, the day after he surrendered six runs and two homers over four innings in a 10-5 loss at Houston.

Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 27, because of a right thigh infection.

UP NEXT

Angels: Andrew Heaney (5-0) has thrown at least six innings — and allowed two runs or fewer — in each of his first six starts with the club. The only pitcher in Angels history to do that in each of his first seven starts with them was Jered Weaver in 2006. Heaney has 31 strikeouts and just five walks in 40 1-3 innings, and comes in with a 1.79 ERA.

Dodgers: Kershaw (8-6) has a streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings — not counting his two-run fifth in the All-Star Game. The reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner has 38 strikeouts and no walks over his last three outings, making him the first pitcher in history with three straight scoreless starts with at least 10 Ks and no bases on balls. Kershaw will pitch on eight days' rest, after taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of his 3-0 win over the Mets on July 23 and finishing with a three-hitter.