Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Adrian Gonzalez kept up his strong play
to begin the season with two hits and an RBI to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers
to a 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on a day the league honored Jackie
Robinson.
Jackie Robinson Day is more than just honoring the first African American
player to grace Major League Baseball. It is a reminder that this country
continues to strive for equality in all aspects of life. Robinson broke
baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947 playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers,
who later moved to Los Angeles in 1958.
The Hall-of-Fame second baseman was influential in the Civil Rights Movement,
and what he did throughout his time on and off the field continues to live on
in the form of baseball today.
After pregame festivities recognized all of those accomplishments, Brett
Anderson (1-0) went out and pitched five strong innings to earn the win. The
southpaw allowed six hits and two runs — one earned — with three strikeouts.
Scott Van Slyke had a pair of RBI, Andre Ethier scored twice and Joc Pederson
reached base four times and added an RBI for the Dodgers, who swept the
three-game set with the Mariners for a fourth straight win.
Nelson Cruz hit a homer in his fifth straight game for Seattle, setting a
career-best mark. Alex Rodriguez was the last Mariner to homer in five
consecutive games back in 1999.
Mariners starter Taijuan Walker (0-2), who allowed nine earned runs in his
first start of the season against Oakland, was tagged for five runs on
Wednesday over four innings of work. Walker had gone 4-0 in seven Cactus
League starts and posted a minuscule 0.67 ERA.
It was Seattle that opened the scoring in the first two games of the series
before the Dodgers made late comebacks to grab the first two games of the set.
Los Angeles flipped the script on Wednesday, as Ethier slapped a two-out
single to left that scored Yasmani Grandal in the first. Van Slyke followed
with a double, plating Howie Kendrick and Ethier, for a 3-0 edge after one
inning.
Gonzalez, who has hit safely in all nine games this season, ripped an RBI
single to right in the second, then Pederson sent Ethier home in the third
with a base knock that made it 5-0.
Cruz kept up his sizzling start with a solo shot to right center in the
fourth.
The Mariners threatened in the fifth, but Pederson threw a seed to the plate
to nab Mike Zunino, who led off the inning with a ground-rule double, after
Justin Ruggiano poked a single into center.
Kyle Seager cut Seattle’s deficit to 5-2 in the sixth with an RBI groundout
that scored Austin Jackson. J.P. Howell recorded the final two outs in the
ninth for his first save of the season.
Game Notes
The two teams had patches on their hats to commemorate the Civil Rights Game
… Frank Robinson, the first African American manager in the MLB, was honored
at the beginning of the game as part of the Jackie Robinson festivities.
Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, then walked out with Dodger legend Sandy
Koufax … Actor and recording artist Tyrese Gibson sung the national anthem
… Los Angeles outfielder Yasiel Puig missed his second straight game with
left hamstring tightness … Anderson entered the game with a 7-4 record and
1.83 ERA in 14 starts entering the game … Cruz hit homers in four straight
games in 2011 while with Texas.
