CLEVELAND (AP) — Mookie Betts matched his career high with five hits in the completion of a suspended game and Kiké Hernández homered and doubled twice in the scheduled game, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cleveland Guardians 6-1 and 9-3 on Thursday.
Betts singled four times in the first six innings in the early game and had a two-run double in the eighth for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who are 19-3 in August. The seven-time All-Star, who also had five hits for Boston against Kansas City on Aug. 26, 2016, had three RBIs on the day.
“I don’t really remember the first five-hit game, so it’s pretty cool,” said Betts, who went 9 for 11 in the three-game series and is batting .568 during a 12-game hitting streak. “The main thing is continuing to hit the ball hard and swinging at the right pitches, focusing on things I can control. But winning is the most important thing."
Michael Busch hit his first major league homer in the scheduled game as the Dodgers rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Freddie Freeman had five hits on the day and Hernández had four hits and four RBIs on his 32nd birthday.
“Today was a grind with the time difference, and it was very hot and very humid, but we found a way to pull away,” Hernández said. “It was a good day and it will be a happy flight to Boston.”
Ryan Pepiot (1-0) allowed one run in four innings for Los Angeles. Rookie Gavin Williams (1-5) gave up a season-high seven runs in 4 1/3 innings and is winless in eight straight starts.
“It was a long day and there was a lot of finagling around, but our team put together two good games,” Pepiot said.
Gabriel Arias hit a solo homer and scored on a double-steal with Will Brennan for the Guardians, who went 2-5 on an eight-day homestand that featured manager Terry Francona contemplating his retirement at the end of the season.
“It seemed like Betts had more than nine hits in the series because he’s very disruptive,” Francona said. “We saw the hitting, but his baserunning is also extraordinary. Every secondary lead, you want to show it to your minor league kids. He’s a pretty phenomenal player.”
Los Angeles led the suspended game 3-1 lead after two innings Wednesday when heavy rain forced it to be called after 1 hour, 37 minutes. Another storm Thursday after the eighth caused a 72-minute delay.
Gus Varland (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings for his first big league win as seven pitchers combined for a four-hitter. Guardians starter Xzavion Curry (3-2) gave up three runs in two innings.
HOMECOMING
Guardians C Eric Haase, who was claimed off waivers from Detroit on Monday, appeared in his first game with the franchise since 2019. He went 1 for 4 after batting .201 with four homers and 26 RBIs for the Tigers.
Haase was a seventh-round pick by Cleveland in the 2011 amateur draft but only played in 19 major league games before being designated for assignment eight years later.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (Tommy John surgery) is throwing against hitters in one-inning simulated situations at the team’s training complex in Glendale, Arizona.
Guardians: C Cam Gallagher (concussion) was activated from the 7-day injured list between games. Rookie SS Brayan Rocchio was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Lance Lynn (9-9, 5.60 ERA) makes his fifth start for Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series in Boston. Lynn is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA since being acquired from the White Sox.
Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (9-3, 3.01 ERA) pitches the first game of a three-game series in Toronto. Bibee is tied for first among AL rookies in victories with Houston’s Hunter Brown and J.P. France.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
