OC Register: Dodgers hit five home runs, ending Angels’ postseason bid

[AngelsWin.com]

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers and Angels are separated geographically by a long morning’s commute, but they’ve been playing on different levels all season.

Friday’s game between the interleague rivals was no different.

The Dodgers clubbed five home runs, including two by Justin Turner, in a 9-5 win that eliminated the Angels from postseason contention. At 41-17, the Dodgers are assured of finishing the season with baseball’s best record and the highest regular season winning percentage in club history.

AJ Pollock, Will Smith and Edwin Rios also hit home runs for the Dodgers. Smith’s two-run shot in the fifth inning against Matt Andriese (2-4) gave the Dodgers the lead for good.

The Angels (26-32) needed to win to keep their slim postseason hopes alive. The stakes will be much lower in the final two games of the season.

Mookie Betts kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. He singled off Angels Angels starter Andrew Heaney and went to third base on a two-out single by Max Muncy. When Muncy took off for second base, Betts took off from third base on a delayed steal attempt and scored when Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo dropped the throw from catcher Max Stassi.

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs in four innings in his final regular season start. Three of the runs were unearned, by virtue of a Corey Seager error that allowed Rengifo to reach first base on a ground ball and extend the third inning.

Later that inning, Mike Trout hit a three-run home run to left field. It was Trout’s 17th home run of the season and his first ever against Kershaw. Trout was hitless in his previous 17 plate appearances against Kershaw, a streak that dated to August 2014.

The home run also kicked off a frantic flurry of four-baggers. Turner hit a solo home run against Angels starter Andrew Heaney in the bottom of the third inning. Justin Upton homered off Kershaw in the top of the fourth. Pollock led off the bottom of the inning with his 14th of the season. In the top of the fifth, Jared Walsh hit the first pitch from Brusdar Graterol (1-2) over the right-field fence. In the bottom of the fifth, Turner took Heaney deep to left field again.

The Angels led 5-4, but not for long. Heaney allowed a single to Muncy on his final pitch of the night. Andreiese took over and promptly surrendered the home run to Smith. Suddenly the Dodgers led 6-5.

An RBI single by pinch hitter Joc Pederson gave the Dodgers an insurance run in the eighth inning. Rios’s two-run home run against Mike Mayers provided the final score.

Kershaw will start Game 1 or 2 of the National League wild card series for the Dodgers. He allowed eight hits, including four extra-base hits, in four innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out three.

In 10 starts this season, Kershaw threw 58 ⅓ innings, went 6-2 and finished with a 2.16 earned-run average.

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Turner, who returned from a hamstring injury to play seven innings at third base on Thursday, was removed after five innings Friday as planned.

Turner, Smith, and Muncy each had two of the Dodgers’ 12 hits.

Rengifo left the game with a strained left hamstring after hitting a single in the seventh inning. He was replaced by Elliot Soto, who made his major league debut after appearing in 867 minor league games since 2010.

 

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