Chris Taylor hit his first home run of the season and Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Miguel Rojas also hit a home run for the Dodgers, who rebounded after scoring three combined runs against the Texas Rangers in back-to-back home losses.
Salvador Perez hit a three-run home run for the Royals, who lost for the fifth time in their past six games. Maikel Garcia had two hits and a run for Kansas City, which also lost for the sixth time in its past eight road games.
The Royals were the first to get on the scoreboard with a three-run fourth inning. Garcia led off the inning with a single and Vinnie Pasquantino worked a one-out walk. Perez drilled a first-pitch slider from Dodgers starter Gavin Stone over the wall in left field, his 11th of the season, for a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers followed the Royals’ long-ball lead in the fifth inning with some production from the bottom of the order. Rojas followed an Andy Pages single with a home run to left field, his third of the season.
Two batters later, the Dodgers tied it when Taylor hit a home run to left off Royals left-hander Cole Ragans, Taylor’s first long ball since last Sept. 7. Taylor entered batting just .100 (9-for-90) in 38 games.
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts had a one-out single in the eighth inning off Royals left-hander Will Smith (0-3). Betts advanced to second after a throwing error by Smith on a pickoff attempt at first base, and scored on Freeman’s two-out single for Los Angeles’ first lead.
Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia pitched the ninth inning for his third save. Daniel Hudson (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to pick up the win.
Perez was replaced by Freddy Fermin in the eighth inning after the Royals’ veteran catcher appeared to suffer an injury to his left hand earlier in the game.
Stone gave up three runs on four hits over seven innings. Ragans allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings for the Royals.
–Field Level Media
