Max Muncy hit a home run in the first inning Friday and added a go-ahead single in the seventh as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium.
Muncy's solo home run in the opening inning was his 22nd of the season. He has two more days to pad that total before participating in the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday at Washington D.C.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the Dodgers went ahead for good on a Muncy single to right field. Logan Forsythe scored from third base on the hit, with Joc Pederson also coming home, but only after Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun overthrew home plate for an error.
Calhoun had been the Angels' hero to that point with a pair of home runs. He tied the score 1-1 in the third inning with a home run to straightaway center field and hit another in the fifth to left-center to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. The two home runs gave Calhoun eight on the season.
Calhoun is starting to heat up after a slow start and a stint on the disabled list because a strained right oblique. He has seven home runs and 14 RBIs over his last 23 games after returning from the DL. Over his previous 50 games, he was batting .145 with one home run and 11 RBIs.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler gave up two runs on six hits over five innings with one walk and five strikeouts in his return to the big league roster. He missed time with a microfracture in his right rib cage and was demoted to the minor leagues after a rough relief outing on June 28, when he gave up five runs in one inning against the Chicago Cubs.
Angels starter Felix Pena gave up one run on three hits over four innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. Cam Bedrosian (3-2) gave up two runs on three hits in a third of an inning to take the loss.
Dodgers reliever Caleb Ferguson (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Left-hander Scott Alexander pitched the ninth inning for his first save, as the Dodgers ended the game on a 5-4-3 double play with the tying run on third base. Closer Kenley Jansen had the day off.
Dodgers infielder Chase Utley had a pinch-hit single in the fifth inning after announcing earlier in the day that this would be his final season.
--Field Level Media
LA Angels | LA Dodgers | |
Felix Pena | Player | Walker Buehler |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
4.0 | IP | 5.0 |
5 | Strikeouts | 5 |
3 | Hits | 6 |
2.25 | ERA | 3.60 |
LA Angels | LA Dodgers | |
Kole Calhoun | Player | Max Muncy |
2 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 2 |
2 | HR | 1 |
8 | TB | 5 |
.500 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
LA Angels | 8 | 2 | 15 | .235 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
LA Dodgers | 9 | 1 | 15 | .281 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |