Dodgers sweep Cubs, spoil Jackson’s debut
LOS ANGELES — Hanley Ramirez lined an RBI single over a drawn-in infield in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a seesaw 7-6 victory on Sunday.
Shawn Camp (2-5) walked Matt Kemp on four pitches with one out and Andre Ethier’s single put runners at the corners for Ramirez.
Cubs talented rookie Anthony Rizzo had three RBIs including a tying solo home run leading off the top of the ninth against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (5-3) after Ethier gave Los Angeles a 6-5 lead with a two-run double in the seventh against James Russell. The blown save was Jansen’s sixth in 27 opportunities.
Brett Jackson, the Cubs’ No.1 draft pick in 2009 out of Cal-Berkeley, made his major league debut in center field just three days after his 24th birthday and singled twice in four at-bats after his contract was selected from Triple-A Iowa.
Third baseman Josh Vitters, the Cubs’ third overall pick in the in the 2007 draft out of Cyprus (Calif.) High School, also was recalled from Iowa and flied out as a pinch-hitter in his big league debut.
Alfonso Soriano put the Cubs ahead 5-4 in the seventh with a two-run single against Javy Guerra, who came in after Randy Choate gave up Rizzo’s sacrifice fly.
Joe Blanton allowed two runs and five hits, struck out five and tied a season high with three walks in his Dodgers debut. The nine-year veteran right-hander, who was acquired from Philadelphia on Friday in a trade after Los Angeles claimed him on waivers, departed with a 4-2 lead before the bullpen squandered it.
Cubs reliever Scott Maine gave up a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Juan Rivera and the two-run single by Luis Cruz that put the Dodgers ahead 4-2 in the sixth. The rally began when Cubs starter Justin Germano hit Mark Ellis with a 3-2 pitch and Alberto Cabrera loaded the bases with walks to Kemp and Ramirez.
Germano was charged with two runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings on the eve of his 31st birthday. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to help fortify a rotation that was depleted by the trades of Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm on Tuesday, and a triceps issue with Matt Garza that may have kept him from being dealt away as well.
Germano’s only other start for the Cubs this season was last Monday, when he pitched five innings in a 14-4 win against Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field. The seven-year veteran was acquired from Boston in a cash deal on July 19, six days after he was designated for assignment following 16 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket.
Los Angeles tied the score 1-all in the fifth when James Loney singled and came all the way home on a two-out double by A.J. Ellis, who had two home runs and an RBI single on Friday night in the Dodgers’ series-opening 6-1 win. But the Cubs regained the lead in the sixth on Welington Castillo’s a two-out solo homer into the pavilion seats in right-center. It was the 23rd home run allowed by Blanton, the most in the NL.
Blanton, who gave up only 18 walks over 133 1-3 innings in his 20 previous starts this season, issued one in each of the first three innings in his fourth career start at Dodger Stadium. The only one that cost him was his first-inning leadoff walk to David DeJesus, who scored on Rizzo’s one-out single. Rizzo has 21 RBIs in 33 games since getting recalled from the minors on June 26.
The Cubs traded reserve infielder Jeff Baker to Detroit for two players to be named, after the Tigers claimed Baker off waivers. Outfielder Tony Campana was optioned to the Cubs’ top farm club.