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LA buoyed by Puig’s pop, Cards’ slop
- Updated: May 14, 2016
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers capitalized on four errors by the Cardinals and a breakout night from Yasiel Puig to grab an 8-4 win in Friday’s series opener at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers rookie Ross Stripling didn’t have his strongest showing, allowing four runs in five-plus innings, but it was all he needed to earn his first big league victory. And it couldn’t have come against a more familiar opponent, friend and former Texas A&M roommate Michael Wacha.
Helping Stripling get his benchmark win, the Dodgers’ offense came through to score its fourth-highest run total of the season. Puig went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs to lead the charge as L.A. scored at least once in each of the second through sixth innings.
“In general, we’ve been swinging the bats better, getting better at-bats,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To get rewarded, put some hits together, put some runs on the board, give us a little breathing room, it was certainly good to see.”
It was a defensive struggle all night for St. Louis, as only three of the Dodgers’ runs were earned. That didn’t help Wacha on a night when he was already working without his best stuff. The right-hander allowed six runs (two earned) on eight hits in four innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
“Errors are going to happen in games,” Wacha said. “It’s all about how you deal with them. I have to do a better job of, when those errors do happen, getting the next guy out, making your pitches, not letting it bother you. I feel like anybody on this team is good enough to get four outs in an inning without them scoring.”
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDBragging rights to Stripling: Stripling said Thursday that his trash talk with Wacha centered mostly on who would get a hit off the other. As the Dodgers rallied for three runs in the second inning, it was point Stripling as he knocked a line drive to right field for a two-out single, his first big league hit. He also reached base on shortstop Aledmys Diaz’s second error before scoring in the fourth.
“He threw a fastball down the middle,” Stripling said. “Then he threw me a …
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