Stripling, Dodgers end 6-game skid with 7-1 win over Brewers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ross Stripling tossed eight strong innings to rescue an overworked bullpen, Joc Pederson and Alex Verdugo homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 Sunday to snap a six-game skid.
The Dodgers avoided back-to-back sweeps for the first time since 2017 when they last dropped seven games in a row.
Los Angeles leads the National League with 35 home runs and has homered in 15 of 17 games.
Stripling (1-1) earned his first win in his fourth start of the season. The right-hander didn’t record his first strikeout until the sixth inning and instead retired 14 of his first 17 batters on flyouts or grounders.
Stripling allowed one run and four hits, struck out three and walked one.
The Dodgers’ rotation has been without Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill since the season began. Hyun-Jin Ryu got hurt earlier in the week when the team lost four straight in St. Louis, putting more pressure on the bullpen. Kershaw is due back Monday and Hill appears to be close behind.
The Dodgers jumped on Jhoulys Chacin (2-2) in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead on a two-out RBI single by Verdugo.
Pederson homered with two outs in the second, making it 3-0.
The Dodgers tacked on three runs in the third on Max Muncy’s RBI single and a two-run RBI single by Chris Taylor that chased Chacin.
Verdugo homered leading off the fifth against Chase Anderson.
The Brewers managed just three hits — a double by Travis Shaw and singles from Chacin and Yasmani Grandal — through the first seven innings.
Milwaukee’s lone run came on pinch-hitter Eric Thames‘ sacrifice fly in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: RHP Jeremy Jeffress (right shoulder) could be ready to return by Monday or Tuesday. … RHP Jimmy Nelson (right shoulder surgery) remains in Arizona rehabilitating and no date has been set for his return.
Dodgers: Hill (left knee strain) will make a minor league rehab start Wednesday at either Class A Rancho Cucamonga or Triple-A Oklahoma City. He’ll toss four innings and 60 pitches, followed by an inning in the bullpen. … LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left groin strain) will throw a 40-pitch bullpen session Monday. … C Russell Martin (low back inflammation) has yet to be cleared for baseball activities.
BRING HIM UP
The Dodgers recalled RHP Josh Sborz from Triple-A Oklahoma City in his first major league promotion since being added to the 40-man roster in November. Sborz has made two appearances for OKC this season, tossing four scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and a walk. The 25-year-old was the 74th overall pick by the Dodgers in the 2015 draft out of Virginia.
The team optioned RHP Dennis Santana to OKC. In three games with the Dodgers this season, he went 0-0 with a 7.20 ERA with six strikeouts and four walks.
BREWERS MOVE
Milwaukee acquired catcher David Freitas from the Seattle Mariners for minor league RHP Sal Biasi.
Freitas appeared in one game with Seattle this season, going 0-for-2 with one run, one RBI and a walk on March 28 against Boston. After being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma the following day, Freitas hit .278 with four runs in six games with the Rainiers.
Biasi has made three relief appearances with Single-A Wisconsin this season. He is 1-0 and hasn’t allowed a run in four innings pitched, while striking out five and walking two.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (1-0, 6.91 ERA) starts Monday at home against St. Louis. He is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Cardinals.
Dodgers: Kershaw makes his season debut against Cincinnati Monday after left shoulder inflammation limited him in spring training.
