Bellinger, Hill Lead Dodgers To 9-0 Rout Of Slumping Giants
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit the Dodgers' first home run of the season and Rich Hill threw six spotless innings to lead Los Angeles to a 9-0 victory Sunday and a series split with the rival San Francisco Giants.
All four games in the season-opening set were shutouts.
Yasiel Puig had an RBI double and two singles for the defending NL champions. Enrique Hernandez added two hits, including a two-run double.
Hill (1-0) allowed five hits and walked three, striking out five.
Chris Stratton (0-1) was charged with three runs in 5 1/3 innings for the slumping Giants, who became the first major league team since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles to total no more than two runs in the first four games of a season.
It's the first time the Giants have failed to score more than one run in any of their first four games.
After losing the first two 1-0, the Dodgers turned the tables with two shutouts of their own and scored a combined 14 runs.
The home run by Bellinger, last season's NL Rookie of the Year, ended an 0-for-11 start to his season.
The Dodgers were without a hit before Corey Seager opened the fourth with his first of the season. Puig followed suit with his first hit.
One out later, Bellinger flied out to Hunter Pence in left-center. Watching Pence catch the ball on the move, Seager tagged and broke for third.
As the throw came in, Puig mistakenly also tried to tag from first. The throw was cut off and Puig got caught in a rundown. That enabled Seager to break for home, and the Giants failed to get the tag down in time at first on a sliding Puig as Seager scored.
The Dodgers broke the game open with four runs in the sixth.
Chris Taylor doubled and scored on Puig's double to end the night for Stratton. Left-hander Josh Osich was greeted by Yasmani Grandal's run-scoring single and then Bellinger's two-run homer, an opposite-field drive to left.
Hernandez hit his two-run double off Roberto Gomez in a four-run eighth.
The Dodgers finished with 13 hits after totaling only 11 in their first three games of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (strained pectoral) is scheduled to throw bullpen sessions Tuesday and Friday in preparation for a rehab assignment. ... There is still no schedule for the return of closer Mark Melancon (elbow strain).
Dodgers: Logan Forsythe was expected to be the team's primary third baseman while Justin Turner is on the disabled list, but Kyle Farmer has started at third the past two games. Although a shortstop at the University of Georgia, he has been a catcher in the minors for the Dodgers.
UP NEXT
Giants: Off on Monday before sending out Ty Blach (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to start Tuesday's home opener against Seattle.
Dodgers: Open their first road trip of the season Monday at NL West rival Arizona with LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu making his first start this season.
© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
