Grand Slam (Taylor’s Version) helps Dodgers snap Baltimore’s 8-game winning streak with 6-4 victory

Jul 17, 2023 | 7:22 PM

BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Taylor hit a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch in the sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat Baltimore 6-4, snapping the Orioles’ eight-game winning streak Monday night.

Los Angeles trailed 4-1 entering the sixth before Will Smith’s RBI single. Baltimore starter Grayson Rodriguez left with men on first and second and nobody out, and for a moment it looked like Bryan Baker (3-3) might escape the jam when he induced two straight flyouts.

But after getting ahead 0-2 on Jason Heyward, Baker issued a walk to load the bases. After an 0-2 count on Taylor, the right-hander kept throwing fastballs around the plate, and following a couple more foul balls, the Los Angeles shortstop hit a drive to center field for his 12th homer of the year.

Emmet Sheehan (3-0) allowed four runs in five innings, but the Orioles did not come all that close to scoring on the Los Angeles bullpen. Ryan Brasier worked a hitless ninth for his first save since joining the Dodgers last month. He did allow a walk to Colton Cowser leading off the inning when he was called for a pitch timer violation with the count full.

Freddie Freeman finished a homer shy of the cycle for the Dodgers, and his triple to center — which Aaron Hicks couldn’t quite hold onto at the wall — started the big sixth inning.

Adley Rutschman homered for the Orioles.

Ryan Mountcastle opened the scoring for Baltimore with an RBI double in the first. Adam Frazier hit a run-scoring grounder in the second, and Gunnar Henderson followed with an RBI triple to make it 3-0.

After J.D. Martinez’s RBI single in the fourth, Rutschman made it 4-1 with a solo homer in the fifth.

RETURN

One of baseball’s top prospects when he made his debut early this season, Rodriguez was sent down after posting a 7.35 ERA in 10 starts. He was recalled to make Monday’s start and was sharp early, reaching triple digits with his fastball. But he was charged with four runs in five-plus innings when the runners he left in the fifth both ended up scoring.

IT’S OFFICIAL

Baltimore signed OF Enrique Bradfield, its first-round draft pick.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Heyward (neck soreness) was in the lineup and went 0 for 2 but drew the game’s key walk.

Orioles: OF Cedric Mullins (quad tightness) missed a second straight game.

UP NEXT

The Orioles send RHP Tyler Wells (7-4) to the mound against RHP Michael Grove (1-2) of the Dodgers on Tuesday night.

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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Noah Trister, The Associated Press