Hiroki Kuroda finally gets help as Dodgers blank Angels, 5-0
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Hiroki Kuroda’s hard luck finally changed -- but the right-hander’s effective pitching did not -- as the Freeway Series moved to Anaheim on Friday night.
After losing six consecutive decisions mainly due to poor run support, the Dodgers pitcher was given a sizable lead and he made the most of it by tossing a gem as the Dodgers shut out the Angels, 5-0, in the opener of their three-game interleague series at Angel Stadium.
Spearheaded by Aaron Miles and Tony Gwynn Jr., who combined for seven hits and four walks, the Dodgers turned the tables on the Angels and their rookie starter Tyler Chatwood, who had beat them a week earlier, 6-1, at Dodger Stadium.
Chatwood this time gave up four runs and 12 hits in five innings of work, while Kuroda blanked the Angels on just three hits in his seven innings in front of an announced 41,253.
Dodgers relievers Mike MacDougal and Javy Guerra kept the Angels scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, with Guerra helped by Dee Gordon’s running, diving catch in shallow center field of a ball hit by Erick Aybar.
Gwynn opened the game with a double and later tagged up from third base and scored when Andre Ethier flied out.
After Miles and Gordon singled in the second inning, Gwynn scored Miles with another single.
The Dodgers scored again in the third inning when Miles hit a bloop single to score Ethier. And in the fourth inning, Gwynn again singled and eventually tagged up and scored when Matt Kemp flied out.
Gwynn was involved in another score in the seventh inning. With the speedy Gordon at third base and Gwynn at first base after a walk, Gwynn started to steal second base but got caught in a rundown. As the Angels tried, and missed, to tag out Gwynn, Gordon raced home to stretch the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0.
Kuroda did make one mistake, hitting the Angels’ star right-fielder Torii Hunter on the top of the left hand in the first inning.
Hunter walked to first base and finished the inning but then left the game, and the Angels said he would receive precautionary X-rays.
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