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Grandal’s homer spurs Dodgers to 5-1 win over Cardinals

Sports

May 31st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yasmani Grandal’s three-run homer capped a four-run sixth inning off Michael Wacha and the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed for a rain-soaked 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night. Carlos Frias (4-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits in seven innings, an impressive bounce back after surrendering a career-worst 10 runs his last time out. Frias bunted for his first career hit in the seventh.

Howie Kendrick’s RBI single tied it at 1 two at-bats before Grandal, activated from the 7-day concussion disabled list earlier Saturday, hammered a 3-1 pitch an estimated 435 feet to left-center. The Dodgers, held hitless for the first 5 1-3 innings, ended a drought of 42 consecutive scoreless innings on the road, including a 3-0 loss in the series opener Friday.

Wacha (7-1) gave up four runs and three hits in 5 2-3 innings for the Cardinals, whose five-game winning streak ended. Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals was taken out of Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was feeling ill after running the bases in the fourth inning.

Holliday started a day after the Cardinals sent their No. 3 hitter home suffering from flu-like symptoms. Saturday’s game began after a rain delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes and rain resumed not long after the first pitch. Holliday walked to lead off the third, extending his franchise-record streak of reaching safely for the 44th straight game to start the season. Jason Heyward replaced him in the lineup after the fourth inning and played right field with Randal Grichuk moving to left.