McCarthy Strong In Return As Dodgers Earn Sweep Of Rockies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brandon McCarthy threw five scoreless innings in his first start in 14 months, Trace Thompson and Yasmani Grandal homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Sunday with a 4-1 victory.
Recovering from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy (1-0) held the Rockies to a pair of singles in his first major league start since April 25, 2015. He struck out eight and walked one as the Dodgers won their ninth straight game at home.
Thompson homered to right-center off Rockies starter Jon Gray (5-4) to lead off the second inning, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead as they won for the sixth time in seven games overall.
Grandal led off the eighth with a home run off reliever Chad Qualls that landed over the left-center field wall, just beyond the grasp of a leaping Charlie Blackmon.
Daniel Descalso provided the Rockies' only run with a homer on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Casey Fein with one out in the seventh.
The Rockies were unable to get a baserunner past second base in the three-game series, scoring their only runs on solo homers by Descalso and Nolan Arenado.
Corey Seager lined a hard single to right in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, tying him with Miami's Marcel Ozuna for the longest in the National League this season. Seager went 2 for 4 and is hitting .415 during the streak (25 for 67).
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 24th save.
Dodgers reliever Adam Liberatore made his 21st consecutive scoreless appearance in the sixth inning.
Justin Turner had a one-out, RBI single in the second, his eighth hit in his last four games.
The victory gave the Dodgers their fifth series sweep of the season, and their first over the Rockies since April 17-19, 2015.
For McCarthy, the start was his fifth in a Dodgers uniform since signing a four-year, $48 million contract before last season. He was 3-0 in four starts before the elbow injury that required surgery.
To create a roster spot for McCarthy, activated off the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers optioned RHP Brock Stewart to Triple-A Oklahoma Center.
BASERUNNING BLUNDER
Yasiel Puig doubled to lead off the fourth, but had wandered 15 feet off the base when Nolan Arenado caught Yasmani Grandal's popup just behind third base. Arenado tossed to second baseman DJ LeMahieu to easily double up Puig.
KERSHAW CLUB
Since getting the news that Clayton Kershaw was going on the disabled list, Los Angeles starters (Kenta Maeda, Bud Norris, Scott Kazmir and McCarthy) over the last four games have given up one run and eight hits in 23 innings.
LIGHTS OUT IN LA
The Rockies have scored just two runs in their last four games in Los Angeles, and one run or less in seven of their last 10 games, dating back to May 17, 2015. The Rockies are 5-17 in Los Angeles since June 16, 2014.
RINSE, REPEAT
The Dodgers came into Sunday's game with a 46-37 record, the identical 83-game mark they posted in both 2014 and 2015.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (back), sidelined since June 18, will start for the Rockies against the Giants. ... SS Trevor Story was "much, much better" as he recovers from a finger injury, manager Walt Weiss said. "He's swinging in the cage and looks really good. It's just a matter of if he gets jammed or hits a ball off the end of the bat, how is it going to affect him." Story pinch-hit in the eighth and struck out.
Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu could return to the Dodgers' rotation as early as this week, said Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. Ryu has made eight rehab starts as he recovers from surgery to repair his left shoulder, which has sidelined him since the beginning of the 2015 season. The Dodgers are deciding if Ryu needs one more rehab start.
NEXT UP
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson will make his fifth start of his career Monday against the San Francisco Giants. The Rockies are 1-3 in Anderson's four starts and have scored a combined three runs while Anderson has been pitching.
Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (1-2,4.09) makes the eight start of his career Monday in the July 4 opener of a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, his first interleague start. In his last five starts, Urias is 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.
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