Struggling Dodgers Hold Off Orioles For 7-4 Win

The Los Angeles Dodgers ended a six-game losing streak on Sunday after beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 in interleague play. The Orioles won both games of a double-header against the Dodgers on Saturday after Friday’s game was postponed but couldn’t hold on to an early lead Sunday to finish off a sweep.

The Orioles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after J.J. Hardy drove in two runs with a single to shallow right. Baltimore’s lead remained at three runs until the third when Mark Ellis drove in A.J. Ellis with a sacrifice fly to bring the Dodgers within two.

The Orioles quickly regained their three-run lead after Adam Jones hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the third inning. A sweep was in the works and the Orioles had their bats going before the Dodgers broke out for four runs in the fifth.

Jake Arrieta got the start for the Orioles and was solid through the first four innings before blowing up in the fifth. The 27-year-old walked Skip Schumaker to start the inning before hitting Justin Sellers with a pitch and walking Carl Crawford to give the Dodgers a bases-loaded chance with no outs.

Mark Ellis capitalized with a two-run single before Arrieta was relieved with two runners still on base. T.J. McFarland came into the game and was immediately touched up for two runs off an Adrian Gonzalez double before Matt Kemp’s RBI-single made it 5-4 Dodgers.

Stephen Fife was on the mound for the Dodgers and struggled through the first couple innings in his first start this season. Fife was relieved after giving up four runs off seven hits in four innings of work.

Left-hander J.P. Howell came into the game in relief of Fife and got the Dodgers out of the fifth inning without any harm done. Howell only faced two hitters in the game but walked away with the win after the Dodgers held on late.

After both teams went scoreless in the sixth, A.J. Ellis drove in Matt Kemp for his second RBI of the game in the seventh to bring the Dodgers lead to two. Paco Rodriguez and Kenley Jansen went on to hold the Dodgers lead at two runs through the eighth inning and Jerry Hairston Jr. added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to give way to Brandon League for the save.

League has been lights out to start the year outside of giving up two runs in a save against the San Diego Padres on April 10th and he was impressive once again on Sunday. The 30-year-old induced a groundball from Manny Machado to end the Dodgers’ losing streak.

The save was League’s fifth of the early season and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The powerful Dodgers’ lineup hasn’t produced early on and they have quickly fallen to the bottom of the NL West with the Padres.

Are the Los Angeles Dodgers finally out of their slump at the plate? Can they climb back into contention in the NL West after taking game three over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday?

[Image via Dirk Hansen]