Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Hendricks returned home to help the Chicago Cubs to an 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a three-game set.
Hendricks (2-1), who was born in Newport Beach, California and attended nearby Capistrano Valley High School, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over seven innings in front of family and friends at Chavez Ravine.
"It was easier to focus against a good team," said Hendricks. "As the game went on, I felt stronger and stronger. I'm getting more comfortable every day because of the guys in the clubhouse."
Luis Valbuena homered and knocked in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who have won four of their last five. Starlin Castro went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
Los Angeles starter Dan Haren (8-9) continued to struggle, surrendering seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander has lost a career-worst five straight starts.
"There were a lot of things that were not very good," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly "We'll give our guys a pass tonight. We just couldn't stop them early."
The Dodgers had their six-game overall winning streak snapped and their five- game home winning streak halted in the setback.
Dee Gordon opened the home half of the first with an infield single. The speedster then stole second and third around a Yasiel Puig groundout before Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked to put the double play in order.
Hanley Ramirez followed with a grounder in between the hole at third and shortstop, where Castro tossed an errant throw to second base and into right field. Gordon easily scored on the play and Gonzalez raced around in an attempt to push another run across, but a successful relay from right fielder Nate Schierholtz to Anthony Rizzo nabbed Gonzalez at the plate.
The ruling on the field was upheld after an umpire review, and Gonzalez would later leave the game in favor of Scott Van Slyke due to a right knee contusion he suffered on the play.
Valbuena quickly got the run back in the second, however, with a leadoff blast to right.
Ryan Sweeney plated Rizzo in the third with an RBI single and Castro scored after Matt Kemp skipped his throw out of play. Rizzo crossed home on a wild pitch by Haren in the following at-bat to put the Cubs up 4-1.
Schierholtz made a nice defensive play to begin the home half of the third to rob Haren of a base hit. Haren slapped a hit to right, where Schierholtz fired to first to get him. The original ruling was that Haren was safe on the play, but the call was overturned after video review showed Rizzo's foot tipping the bag before Haren reached first.
Chicago continued to tag the Los Angeles right-hander with a three-run fifth. Welington Castillo singled home Rizzo before Schierholtz sent a sacrifice fly to center that plated Castro. Sweeney and Castillo advanced on another wild pitch by Haren, then Hendricks, who knocked his first major-league hit earlier in the game, picked up his first career RBI with an infield single.
Valbuena added an RBI single in the sixth and Puig scored on a force out in the home half after sliding in around the tag of Castillo to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Los Angeles reliever Paul Maholm was injured and removed from the game after injuring his right leg covering first base on a grounder ... Puig was also removed late in the game with a mild left hamstring strain ... Gordon recorded his 50th stolen base in the loss, becoming the first Dodger to hit that plateau since Juan Pierre in 2007 ... Castro's error was his 12th of the season ... Hendricks threw a career-high 107 pitches ... Chicago went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while LA went 0-for-4 in those instances.
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