Los Angeles 8, Detroit Tigers 5: The better team won

You had to assume, when you saw that the Detroit Tigers were facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, that the series would not go well for the home team. The Dodgers only hold a 19-game lead in the National League West — what could possibly go wrong? Well, it seems you assumed correctly. The Tigers dropped the opening match of the series by a score of 8-5.

The Tigers got off to a decent start and drew blood in the first inning, when they notched two runs against Dodgers starter Rich Hill. But Jordan Zimmermann, starting for Detroit, was unable to hold the lead, and gave up four runs on a walk, four hits, and a play that should have been the third out. Instead, it allowed two runs to cross home.

Justin Upton got a run back for Detroit in the third inning when he hit a ball juuuuuust over the left field wall, barely out of Cody Bellinger’s reach. Here’s the video:

Unfortunately, the rally didn’t last long. Los Angeles tacked on two more in the fourth and one in the sixth, putting the game all-but out of reach for Detroit.

There were more hits and more runs, but the Tigers couldn’t overcome the white-hot Dodgers.

Roars

Ian Kinsler stole two bases — second and third — in the first inning.

Justin Upton went four-for-five with two home runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

Andrew and Kathryn Romine are awesome:

Hisses

Jordan Zimmermann didn’t have it tonight. He had a final line of 5 ¹⁄₃ innings, ten hits, seven runs, two walks, and five strikeouts on 91 pitches (60 strikes).

Jose Iglesias hit a ground ball with runners on base in every at-bat — three fielder’s choices and a double play.

Tigers offense with runners on base: Detroit left a total of nine runners on base. Five of those became outs on the base paths to end five different innings.

Stats and stuff

• Coming into this evening, the Tigers had not lost a game at home against the Dodgers since 2008.
• The Dodgers tied their season-high in doubles tonight with a total of six.
• Los Angeles is now 52 games over .500 with a record of 86-34.