LOS ANGELES ― Dodger Stadium held no ill will toward Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers’ longtime center fielder received a loud ovation before his return visit with the Chicago Cubs after a tribute video played before the game, showing his highlights from six years in a Dodgers uniform.
The announced sellout crowd of 52,298 clapped again before Bellinger’s first at-bat – he stepped out of the box and was cruelly penalized with an automatic strike for violating the pitch-timer rule – and again when he doubled into the right field corner in the fourth inning.
The only ill will Friday was the Dodgers’ starting catcher; Will Smith could not play because he was sick. Without one of their hottest hitters, the Dodgers matched their season-low with three hits in an 8-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The Dodgers trailed 3-2 after Max Muncy homered against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. It was Muncy’s fifth home run this week after he swatted four in San Francisco.
Chicago broke the game open with three runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth, all against Dodgers pitcher Andre Jackson.
The right-hander allowed solo home runs to Yan Gomes, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Patrick Wisdom. He allowed another in the ninth inning before Nico Hoerner stole second base, then scored on a double by Happ.
Happ finished 4 for 4 with three RBIs and a walk. Gomes homered twice and stole a base.
Jackson was charged with five earned runs in two innings, inflating his ERA to 8.64.
The final score obscured a serviceable start by Dodgers pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who allowed three runs in six innings. The right-hander relied on an effective changeup to strike out nine batters – his most in a game in four years – while walking two. He exited with the Dodgers trailing 3-2.
The Cubs opened the scoring in the third inning. Gomes poked a single through the right side of the infield. With a 3-and-2 count on the next hitter, Gomes successfully stole the eighth base of his 12-year career.
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Happ then shot a line drive into right field that bounced into the stands on one hop. Suddenly, the stolen base loomed large, as the automatic double drove in Gomes with the game’s first run.
The Dodgers answered quickly in the bottom of the inning. Chris Taylor led off with a towering solo home run to left field, tying the score at 1-1 and giving the Dodgers their first hit against Steele.
Chicago wasn’t done. In the fourth inning, Bellinger burned his former team for a double into the right field corner, went to third on a groundout and scored on another, putting the Cubs ahead, 2-1. Gomes then led off the fifth inning by parking a changeup into the left-center field bleachers.
More to come on this story.