Dodgers Beat Cubs, 1-0
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brock Stewart and four relievers combined on a four-hitter and Andrew Toles scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, on Sunday.
Stewart struck out eight over five innings of two-hit ball, and then Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen closed up shop. Blanton (5-2) got the win and Jansen got three outs for his 39th save.
With one out in the eighth, pinch-hitter Toles was hit by a pitch, and then Trevor Cahill (3-4) threw away Howie Kendrick's short roller, allowing Toles to reach third.
After an intentional walk and a strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez hit a soft grounder toward third, and Javier Baez double-clutched before throwing to late-arriving second baseman Ben Zobrist. Umpires ruled Corey Seager beat Zobrist and the ball to the bag, allowing Toles to score, and a review upheld the call.
Lester struck out six and pitched three-hit ball over six innings, and the Cubs also four-hit the Dodgers.
Stewart began the season with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and was making just this third big league start. He struck out eight of the first 12 batters to set a career high and struck out six in a row during one stretch.
He also got his first major league hit with a single in the third off Lester. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth after throwing 80 pitches.
Kendrick walked to lead off the first and reached third on an errant pickoff attempt by catcher David Ross, but Lester struck out Seager, Justin Turner and Gonzalez successively to end the threat.
DISASTER AVERTED
Seager and second baseman Charlie Culberson bumped into each other and nearly dropped a pop-up by Addison Russell in the eighth inning. Both players called for the ball beyond second base, and Seager got his glove on it first but was brushed by Culberson. The ball popped out of Seager's glove and hit off Culberson's mitt before Seager barehanded it for the third out.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (right shoulder strain) will throw a bullpen session Monday at home, and manager Joe Maddon said Lackey is scheduled to throw a second bullpen session during Chicago's homestand before a decision is made about when he will be activated.
Dodgers: OF Andre Ethier (broken right tibia) went 0 for 3 and played four innings in right field for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday night in his second rehab game. He's been out since spring training. ... Louis Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) is on rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and has tossed scoreless innings in three rehab games there and with the rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers.
ROAD WARRIORS
Entering this game, the Cubs (37-27) were one of two NL teams at least 10 games over .500 on the road. The St. Louis Cardinals were the other (38-24).
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.62) will open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last time out, Arrieta gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings to earn his league-leading 16th victory against the San Diego Padres.
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37) will start at Colorado on Monday. He has gone 5-0 in his last six starts and has limited opposing hitters to a .226 average.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
