Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy hit home runs, rookie Ryan Pepiot went six strong innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished a three-game sweep of the visiting Miami Marlins with a 10-3 victory Sunday.
Will Smith drove in three runs as the Dodgers extended their home winning streak to nine games while improving to 15-3 in August. Los Angeles also improved its major league-best record to 84-36.
Pepiot, in his seventh career start, got the best of a duel with Marlins Cy Young Award candidate Sandy Alcantara, who pitched for the National League in the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium on July 19.
Pepiot (2-0) gave up two runs and four hits on his 25th birthday with two walks and a career-best seven strikeouts.
Alcantara (11-6) gave up season highs in runs (six) and hits (10) over a season-low 3 2/3 innings to raise his ERA to 2.19. He had one walk with five strikeouts. Lewin Diaz and JJ Bleday hit home runs for the Marlins.
The Dodgers started fast, scoring at least a run in each of the first four innings. Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, stole second and scored on a two-out single from Smith.
Los Angeles made it 3-0 in the second inning when Joey Gallo tripled off the right-field wall and Bellinger cleared the same spot on the wall with his 17th home run of the season.
Muncy gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the third with an RBI single before the Marlins cut the advantage in half on a two-run home run from Diaz in the fourth inning, his first homer of the season.
The Dodgers knocked Alcantara from the game in the fourth. Gallo singled, went to second on a Bellinger ground ball and scored on a Betts single for a 5-2 lead. Trea Turner walked, and Smith brought home another run on a ground-rule double to right. Alcantara was replaced by left-hander Richard Bleier.
Muncy’s home run, his 16th of the season, came in the seventh against Marlins right-hander Huascar Brazoban. Bleday’s home run, his fourth, came in the eighth inning against David Price. Smith’s third RBI came on an eighth-inning single.
–Field Level Media
