Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Turner's two-run single
highlighted a five-run sixth inning that sent the Los Angeles Dodgers past the
ChicagoWhite Sox, 5-2, on Monday.
Adrian Gonzalez and Drew Butera also knocked in a run apiece during the
pivotal frame, which was prolonged by two costly Chicago errors that spoiled
an otherwise solid outing by Jose Quintana.
Quintana (3-5) allowed just two hits leading up to the sixth but came undone
when the suspect defense behind him produced five unearned runs.
"Tonight wasn't a good night defensively,"White Sox manager Robin Ventura
said. "Jose deserved a better fate."
Clayton Kershaw (4-2) struck out nine over eight innings and earned the win.
The reigning Cy Young Award winner surrendered four hits -- the only costly
one a two-run homer by the newly activated Jose Abreu.
"Clayton was dominant tonight, only one bad pitch," Dodgers manager Don
Mattingly said.
Abreu, sidelined since May 18 with tendinitis in his left ankle, was
reinstated from the disabled list Monday and made his presence known.
Kershaw retired him on an easy comebacker to the mound the first time they
squared off, but the left-hander's knee buckled when Abreu made contact with
his hanging breaking ball in the fourth, knowing the rookie slugger got
enough to send it over the left-field wall.
Gordon Beckham singled ahead of Abreu's 16th home run of the season, ending
Kershaw's string of 10 straight retired to start the game.
Kershaw allowed just two baserunners the rest of his outing, then helped his
own cause with a leadoff single in the game-altering sixth.
A Beckham error allowed Matt Kemp to reach base with one out, and after
striking out Yasiel Puig, Quintana induced a routine ground ball to third off
the bat of Hanley Ramirez. Instead of tagging the runner or the bag, however,
Conor Gillaspie threw over to first, and his low throw got away from Abreu,
allowing Kershaw to score LA's first run.
Gonzalez's infield single knocked in Kemp, and Turner's bases-loaded bloop hit
into short center knocked in a pair for a 4-2 Dodgers lead.
Butera capped the turnaround with an RBI single, and Kenley Jansen finished
off Kershaw's gem by striking out the side in the ninth to post his 17th save.
Game Notes
Abreu was leading the majors in home runs and led the AL in RBI before landing
on the DL ... This three-game series features six Cuban-born players. Abreu
and Puig were teammates with Cienfuegos in the Cuban National Series ... The
Dodgers dropped three of four to the Pirates over the weekend ... The White
Sox have lost three of their last four.