Wednesday, June 14, 2017 07:10 PM (ET)

Dodgers rally past Indians for sixth straight victory

The Sports Xchange
Jun 14, 2017

CLEVELAND -- Enrique Hernandez's pinch-hit home run off Andrew Miller ignited a four-run eighth inning rally as the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to six games with a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

It's the second consecutive game the Dodgers hit a home run in the eighth inning off Miller (3-2), who prior to facing the Dodgers had not allowed a home run all year. Cody Bellinger homered off Miller in the Dodgers' 7-5 victory Tuesday.

Dodgers reliever Josh Fields (3-0), who gave up a game-tying home run to Jose Ramirez in the seventh inning, got the win. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to pick up his 13th save.

With the score tied at 2-2, Miller, in relief of starter Corey Kluber, retired the first batter of the eighth inning. But Hernandez, pinch-hitting for Chase Utley, hit a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall for his sixth home run.

Corey Seager followed with an infield single, and the next two hitters, Justin Turner and Bellinger, drew walks, loading the bases.

Cleveland appeared to get out of the inning when Yasmani Grandal grounded to shortstop Francisco Lindor, who started an apparent 6-4-3 inning-ending double play. But the Dodgers challenged that second baseman Eric Gonzalez did not have his foot on second base when he took the throw from Lindor.

After a video review, the call was overturned. Seager scored on the play, and there were runners at second and third. Zach McAllister relieved Miller and gave up a two-run single by Chris Taylor to drive in the Dodgers' last two runs.

Cleveland's last two runs came in the eighth inning, on an RBI double by Michael Brantley, and RBI single by Edwin Encarnacion.

Trailing 2-0, the Indians got a run back in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Michael Brantley, and Cleveland tied it in the seventh, on the home run by Ramirez off Fields.

Fields relieved Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits, with two walks and no strikeouts.

Indians starter Corey Kluber pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, with 10 strikeouts and one walk.

Kluber retired the first four batters he faced, but with one out in the second inning, Grandal drew a walk. Taylor pulled a double into the left field corner, moving Grandal to third. Kluber retired Logan Forsythe on a flyout to shallow right field.

With left-handed-hitting Joc Pederson at the plate, the Indians' infield shifted to the right, with third baseman Ramirez playing well off the line. Pederson hit a dribbler halfway up the third base line, and by the time Ramirez got to the ball, it went as a 30-foot single, scoring Grandal with the first run of the game.

Taylor went to third on Pederson's hit. On a pitch to the next hitter, Yasiel Puig, Pederson broke for second. Indians catcher Yan Gomes threw to second, but when Taylor, the runner at third, broke for the plate, Gonzalez stepped in front of the bag, caught Gomes' throw and threw back to the plate.

Gonzalez's throw was wide and late. It went as a double steal. Taylor scored, Pederson was safe at second, and the Dodgers led 2-0.

McCarthy held the Indians scoreless with one hit through the first five innings.

NOTES: Indians manager Terry Francona was back in the dugout Wednesday night after leaving Tuesday's game in the eighth inning because he was feeling light-headed, and his heart rate was up. Francona was taken by ambulance to the Cleveland Clinic, where he underwent a battery of tests. "It scared me a little bit, but everything checked out. They think I was dehydrated," Francona said. ... RHP Josh Tomlin, who will start Thursday for Cleveland, is averaging a major league-best .5 walks per nine innings (four walks in 66 innings). ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis was a late scratch from the starting lineup because of neck spasms. He was replaced by INF Erik Gonzalez. ... Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig has been suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball for making obscene hand gestures toward fans at Progressive Field after hitting a home run in the second inning Tuesday. Puig is appealing the suspension and is eligible to continue playing. ... Dodgers LHP Rich Hill, who made 63 relief appearances for Cleveland in 2013, will make his first career start versus Cleveland on Thursday.
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