Dodgers hold off Cubs, take three of four
The Cubs finally got a pitcher through five innings Sunday, but that moral victory was all they could come up with against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field.
The Dodgers scored early, and unlike the previous day, they managed to hold on and gain an 8-5 win over the Cubs, taking three of four games in this series.
Cubs starting pitcher Jacob Turner gave up 8 hits and 5 runs (4 earned) in his 5 innings. The Cubs needed at least that much to save their bullpen after Edwin Jackson and Felix Doubrount turned in short outings Friday and Saturday, respectively.
RBI doubles by Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Chris Coghlan, the Cubs' hitting hero on Saturday's victory, made it 2-1 with an RBI single in the bottom of the second.
Matt Kemp's 2-run homer in the third, his 23rd of the season, gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. After the Dodgers scored another in the fifth, the Cubs made a game of it in the bottom half, getting 2 of their own.
But L.A. put across single runs in each of the sixth and seventh before Cubs catcher Welington Castillo connected for a homer to lead off the eighth.
The Dodgers went with a committee of pitchers. Veteran Jamey Wright started and went 2 innings before a bullpen parade began. Dan Haren originally was scheduled to start for the Dodgers, but manager Don Mattingly decided to save him for Monday's key matchup against the Giants.
• Bruce Miles will have more later at dailyherald.com on the Cubs' leadership needs. Follow Bruce on Twitter @BruceMiles2112