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The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez #14 throws to first base for a double play as the Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 slides into second base in the top of the first inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney #28 looks down as the Dodgers’ Justin Turner #10 rounds the bases after Turner hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated by David Fletcher #22 after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated by Luis Rengifo #4 after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Will Smith #16 rounds the bases after hitting a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Will Smith #16 is congratulated by Max Muncy #13 after Smith hit a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 crosses home plate after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 walks around the mound after giving up a three-run homer to the Angels’ Mike Trout #27 in the top of the third inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts #50 steals home in the bottom of the first inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Justin Upton #10 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the top of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels pitcher Matt Andriese #35 looks away as the Dodgers heads for home after Will Smith #16 hit a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Justin Upton #10 heads for home plate after hitting a home run in the top of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney #28 during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Corey Seager #5 throws to first base during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Justin Turner #10 hits a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Luis Rengifo #4 makes a diving attempt to stop a Dodgers’ Max Muncy #13 single in the bottom of the first inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts #50 catches a fly ball hit by the Angels’ Anthony Rendon #6 for the out in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 rounds the bases after hitting a home run as Dodgers pitcher Brusdar Graterol #48 looks on in the top fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez #14 throws to first base during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers and Angels are separated geographically by a long morning’s commute, but they’ve been playing on different levels all season.
Friday’s game between the interleague rivals was no different.
The Dodgers clubbed five home runs, including two by Justin Turner, in a 9-5 win that eliminated the Angels from postseason contention. At 41-17, they are assured of finishing the season with baseball’s best record and the highest regular season winning percentage in club history.
AJ Pollock, Will Smith and Edwin Rios also hit home runs for the Dodgers. Smith’s two-run shot in the fifth inning against Matt Andriese (2-4) gave the Dodgers the lead for good. The Dodgers have hit 113 home runs as a team this season. Only one other club has more than 100.
“It’s one through nine,” Manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers’ power. “Obviously the DH (rule) helps the length. I just think that especially this last 14, 15 days we’ve just really taken our walks and really grinded it. It’s kind of like the body blows to an opposing pitching staff, then to put up crooked numbers late – I just really like the way we’re going about it as a team offense.”
The Angels (26-32) needed to win to keep their slim postseason hopes alive. The stakes will be much lower in the final two games of the season.
“I’m trying to manage workload as we close out the regular season,” Roberts said.
Mookie Betts kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. He singled off Angels Angels starter Andrew Heaney and went to third base on a two-out single by Max Muncy. When Muncy took off for second base, Betts took off from third base on a delayed steal attempt. He scored when Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo dropped the throw from catcher Max Stassi.
Muncy was removed from the game two innings after a pitch that jammed his hands landed for a single. Roberts said Muncy was removed only as a precaution. Turner, who returned from a hamstring injury to play seven innings at third base on Thursday, was removed after five innings as planned.
Turner, Smith, and Muncy each had two of the Dodgers’ 12 hits.
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs in four innings in his final regular season start. Three of the runs were unearned, by virtue of a Corey Seager error that allowed Rengifo to reach first base on a ground ball and extend the third inning.
“It was supposed to be a normal start,” said Kershaw, who had been averaging more than six innings per start. “This was due to lack of skill today.”
Later in the third, Mike Trout hit a three-run home run to left field. It was Trout’s 17th home run of the season and his first ever against Kershaw. Trout was hitless in his previous 17 plate appearances against Kershaw, a streak that dated to August 2014.
The home run also kicked off a frantic flurry of four-baggers. Turner hit a solo home run against Heaney in the bottom of the third inning. Justin Upton homered off Kershaw in the top of the fourth. Pollock led off the bottom of the inning with his 14th of the season. In the top of the fifth, Jared Walsh hit the first pitch from Brusdar Graterol (1-2) over the right-field fence. In the bottom of the fifth, Turner took Heaney deep to left field again.
The Angels led 5-4, but not for long. Heaney allowed a single to Muncy on his final pitch of the night. Andreiese took over and promptly surrendered the home run to Smith. Suddenly the Dodgers led 6-5.
An RBI single by pinch hitter Joc Pederson gave the Dodgers an insurance run in the eighth inning. Rios’s two-run home run against Mike Mayers provided the final score.
Kershaw will start Game 1 or 2 of the National League wild card series for the Dodgers. He allowed eight hits, including four extra-base hits, in four innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out three.
“We can’t expect him to be perfect every time out,” Roberts said. “The breaking ball (was) not really finishing. The fastball didn’t have the life we’ve seen all year. We’ve just got to turn the page.”In 10 starts this season, Kershaw threw 58 1/3 innings with a 6-2 record and a 2.16 earned-run average.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning, his fourth in his last four appearances, in a non-save situation.
Dodgers hit five home runs, end Angels’ postseason bid with win posted first on https://anaheimsignsorangecounty.blogspot.com
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