Bellinger homers twice as Dodgers top Cubs
Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy each hit two-run home runs in a decisive fourth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 7-3 victory Thursday over the visiting Chicago Cubs in the opener of a four-game series.
Clayton Kershaw rebounded from a slow start to pitch six solid innings, Bellinger added a second blast and David Freese had his own two-run homer as the Dodgers ended a brief two-game skid. Los Angeles had lost four of its previous six games.
Kyle Schwarber hit a home run on the first pitch of the game and Kris Bryant added his own solo shot as the Cubs lost for the sixth time in their last seven road games.
Cubs starter Jon Lester (5-5) was cruising through the first three innings, but trouble started in the fourth when he was hit in the left foot by a Freese comebacker. Bellinger followed with his first homer of the night, and two batters later, Muncy hit his two-run blast, his 16th of the season.
The two home runs came in a span of five Lester pitches. The left-hander gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Bellinger padded the Dodgers' lead in the seventh inning with a solo home run, his 22nd of the season and his second multi-homer game of the year. Bellinger ended a 12-game skid without a long ball.
Muncy's home run was his fourth in four games, going back to his blast into McCovey Cove against Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner on Sunday.
Schwarber's home run was his 15th of the season and his third career leadoff homer, all this season. Bryant's third-inning shot was his 14th of the year.
Kershaw (6-1) settled in after the Bryant homer, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings with two walks and eight strikeouts. The victory came as an answer to a loss against the Giants on Friday, his first loss since July 21 of last season.
Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias followed Kershaw with three scoreless innings to earn his third save.
The Cubs are now 1-3 on their seven-game road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles after going 6-1 on their most recent homestand.
--Field Level Media
