Dodgers cash in on late rally to beat Phillies 5-4
LOS ANGELES (AP) Vince Velasquez was cruising with a 4-0 lead while holding the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless into the sixth inning.
Then the bottom dropped out. Yasiel Puig broke up the no-hit bid and the Phillies piled up miscues in the late innings to hand the Dodgers a 5-4 victory that spoiled manager Gabe Kapler's return to Los Angeles.
Yasmani Grandal singled home the go-ahead run and the Dodgers scored three times in a wild eighth to beat Philadelphia for the fourth straight time at Chavez Ravine on Monday night.
The Dodgers have won nine of 11, and this time the Phillies helped.
Los Angeles got an infield single that deflected off third baseman Maikel Franco, a missed pop fly by second baseman Cesar Hernandez, a single off reliever Adam Morgan's glove, a wild pitch and Grandal's seeing-eye single against a drawn-in infield.
''It was funky,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Trailing 4-0, Velasquez gave up a single leading off the sixth to Puig, who went to second on an error by left fielder Rhys Hoskins.
After retiring pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe, Velasquez allowed an RBI double to Joc Pederson that bounced on the left-field line, scoring Puig. Justin Turner's two-out RBI single chased Velasquez, making it 4-2.
''There were some weird things that unfolded that I didn't predict would happen,'' Kapler said. ''You can score early, but you have to keep scoring and keep executing.''
The Dodgers closed to 4-3 in the eighth on pinch-hitter Matt Kemp's RBI double that scored Puig, who reached on an infield single to shortstop. Max Muncy reached on a comebacker to Morgan, who couldn't field the ball, and Kemp clapped as he crossed the plate.
''We kind of capitalized on some of those miscues and made them pay,'' Kemp said. ''We need more wins like that.''
Turner grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop, with Muncy out at second and pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez, who reached on an error by Cesar Hernandez at second base, taking third.
''I lost it in the sky,'' Cesar Hernandez said. ''I looked over at (Carlos) Santana to see if he had it, but when I saw that he wasn't ready for the ball either I tried to find it again and I couldn't.''
Morgan's wild pitch moved Turner up to second. Enrique Hernandez scored on Grandal's single that went under the glove of shortstop Scott Kingery.
''Everyone out there battled and we caught a few lucky breaks,'' Muncy said. ''It's like J.T. said, `There must have been a full moon or something.'''
Yimi Garcia (1-1) got the win after being called up before the game, tossing two scoreless innings of relief and striking out two. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 12th save.
Morgan (0-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run and two hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Cesar Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the second for the Phillies, who hired Kapler away from the Dodgers for his first big league managerial job. Kapler was director of player development for Los Angeles and had been a candidate to manage the Dodgers before Roberts was hired.
The Phillies jumped all over Dodgers starter Brock Stewart early. He gave up a run in a fluky first inning before Cesar Hernandez sent the first pitch from Stewart over the wall in right field for a 4-0 lead in the second.
Stewart settled down and retired his final seven batters.
Stewart allowed four runs - three earned - and five hits in four innings during his second start of the season. He struck out five and walked two. He will likely be bumped from the rotation when ace Clayton Kershaw comes off the disabled list to start the series finale Thursday.
Velasquez gave up two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked two.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (strained right lat) will see a vascular surgeon Tuesday in St. Louis. He left a rehab start at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 20 with tingling in his right index and middle fingers. Eickhoff felt something similar in August and it ended his season. ... SS J.P. Crawford (strained right forearm) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Class A Clearwater. ... RHP Pat Neshek (strained right forearm) will throw a bullpen Tuesday in LA.
Dodgers: RHP Tom Koehler (right shoulder strain) threw his first bullpen since going on the 60-day DL just before opening day. He's expected to be activated around the All-Star break in mid-July and join the relief corps.
LOCKING IT DOWN
The Dodgers' bullpen tossed five scoreless innings and allowed two hits, with contributions from Scott Alexander, Erik Goeddel, Garcia and Jansen. In their last 11 games since May 17, the `pen has posted a 1.64 ERA and has held hitters to a .164 average, while striking out 42 and walking 12.
IN YOUR FACE
Hoskins left in the middle of his at-bat in the ninth after fouling a ball off his face. ''Rhys has a big, fat cut on the bottom of his lip and he's getting it evaluated,'' Kapler said. ''I'm not overly concerned.''
HE'S SO SMOOTH
Santana went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk for the Phillies. He's hitting .286 in the month of May, with 13 runs, six doubles, a triple, seven homers and 21 RBIs.
UP NEXT
RHP Jake Arrieta (4-2, 2.45 ERA) starts for the Phillies. He is 1-3 with a 3.77 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles in his career. RHP Kenta Maeda (4-3, 3.38) goes for the Dodgers. He is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four career starts against Philadelphia. He's averaged 10.29 strikeouts per nine innings, while limiting batters to a .218 average.
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