Dodgers 4, Cubs 0
LOS ANGELES-Ricky Nolasco continued his fine start as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he dominated the Chicago Cubs in a 4-0 win on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Coming off a splendid start against Boston - an eight-inning, two-hit, zero-run performance in a 2-0 Los Angeles win last Friday -- Nolasco moved to 6-1 with the Dodgers as he stifled the Cubs over eight innings.
He allowed three hits and no runs while picking up 11 strikeouts and walking just one. He was especially dominant early, allowing just two hits over the first six innings as the Los Angeles lineup built him a 4-0 advantage off former Dodger Edwin Jackson.
Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the ninth inning and struck out two as Los Angeles bounced back from three losses in four games.
Jackson allowed six hits and four runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings but hurt his cause with a fifth-inning throwing error on a Nolasco ground ball that allowed Juan Uribe to score, giving Los Angeles the 3-0 lead. Skip Schumaker, who replaced the benched Yasiel Puig in the lineup, immediately followed with an RBI single to score Tim Federowicz.
Jackson struck out five and walked two on 124 pitches before giving way to lefty James Russell.
The Dodgers flashed some power earlier in the game, though, as Hanley Ramirez and Andre Ethier hit solo home runs in the first and fourth innings respectively.
Ethier led the Dodgers with two hits while Welington Castillo had two hits for Chicago.
Puig was pulled before the fifth inning because of a managerial decision after making two relaxed catches in the fourth inning. This, after Chicago manager Dale Sveum was ejected on Puig's leadoff at-bat of the first inning, for arguing about a Puig check swing.
NOTES: Cubs IF Luis Valbuena (oblique strain) went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a walk in his first rehab game with the Cubs' Arizona League affiliate on Tuesday. ... Chicago OF Ryan Sweeney (rib injury) went 2-for-5 with a double, 1 RBI in his third game with Mesa. ...Puig's five-game streak of multi-hit games against the Cubs ended at five. Puig batted leadoff, relegating Carl Crawford to the No. 2 spot after he led off all 78 of his previous appearances this year. ... Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had the day off after an 0-for-9 batting slump. Jerry Hairston Jr. got the start. ... Dodgers RHP Jose Dominguez could be sidelined even after the rosters expand on Sept. 1. Dominguez has been on the disabled list since July 23 and he's had two MRIs, but little progress. ... Jackson's 124 pitches were his most since 2011.
