Cody Bellinger not only had his fourth multi-homer game of the season, but he became the first player this season to hit a home run off Indians reliever Andrew Miller. The Dodgers’ rookie first baseman connected for a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning off Miller, and added a three-run home run in the ninth to back Clayton Kershaw and lead the Dodgers to a 7-5 victory at Progressive Field on Tuesday.
Bellinger’s home run off Miller was the first homer that Miller has allowed since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, when Cubs catcher David Ross took the left-hander deep. Bellinger finished the series opener with three hits — two homers and a double — and four RBIs, and he now has five home runs in his last three games.
“I had a lot of tips going into that at-bat,” Bellinger said. “We focused on them early before the game. We knew we were probably going to face him every game here. He’s got nasty stuff. I just tried not to do too much. He threw the slider. I just tried to get my barrel to it, and luckily it got out.”
That was all that Kershaw needed, as the lefty held the Tribe to two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four in seven innings to pick up his ninth win of the season.
The Dodgers added an insurance run in the eighth when Chris Taylor came home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Joc Pederson. Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig slugged a two-run homer — his 10th of the season — in the second off Indians starter Trevor Bauer. The Indians right-hander went 5 2/3 innings and struck out five, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks en route to a no-decision.
“I thought [Bauer] battled,” Indians bench coach Brad Mills said. “I thought he battled through it. I think we’ve seen that before. I’m sure that he would say that he’d like to have a couple of those pitches [back]. Put him in some better counts, keep the pitch count down. But at the same time, he really gave us everything he had and battled through some tough situations there as well.”
The Indians scored both of their runs off Kershaw. The first came on an RBI single from left fielder Michael Brantley in the third inning, and the second on a solo home run from catcher Roberto Perez. Outfielder Daniel Robertson hit a three-run home run — the first homer of his career in 351 plate appearances — with two outs in the ninth off Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher.
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