MIAMI — Brett Anderson kept the ball down, as usual. And sometimes he didn’t let the Miami Marlins hit it at all.
Anderson pitched seven innings, allowed only one fly ball and tied a career high with 10 strikeouts Friday night to help the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-1 victory over the Marlins, who lost their fifth consecutive game.
Major league home run and RBI leader Giancarlo Stanton hurt his left hand, grimaced in pain with his final swing in the ninth inning and underwent X-rays after the game. The extent of the injury wasn’t determined, and the Marlins slugger was to undergo further evaluation Saturday.
Scott Van Slyke, filling in again for the injured Yasiel Puig, hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers. Teammate Howie Kendrick tied a season high with four hits, and Jimmy Rollins had a two-run single.
Anderson (4-4), whose ground ball percentage is the highest in the majors, didn’t give up a fly ball until the sixth inning. He allowed the leadoff batter in the first inning to score but was otherwise unscathed.
"My stuff was probably the best overall it has been," Anderson said. "You want to be able to go deep in games and be another Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Hopefully I can continue to give us a chance to win."
He had an RBI single, hiking his average this year to .100.
"My first career single," he said. "I should have gotten the ball."
Two relievers completed a six-hitter. The Marlins’ final 10 outs were strikeouts, and they struck out a season-high 16 times.
"We didn’t need fielders at the end," Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said.
The Dodgers have won three consecutive games on their three-city trip to improve to 15-20 on the road. They have allowed only 10 runs in the past six games.
Marlins manager Dan Jennings called a team meeting before the game to give his players a pep talk, but they again showed little pep, falling a season-worst 15 games under .500 (30-45).
Miami’s Dee Gordon, who leads the major leagues in hits, had three singles against his former team. But the Marlins went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, and they are batting .105 in those situations in the past nine games.
Odds of an offensive breakout this weekend are not good, with Miami facing Kershaw and Greinke in the next two games.
Anderson, who has been slowed by injuries for much of his career, is making the most of his good health lately. He has an ERA of 2.47 in 11 starts since the beginning of May.
"I know I’m a good pitcher and can get people out when I’m able to go out there," he said. "It has proven to be right, at least to this point."
Anderson helped himself in the third inning by picking two runners off first base. J.T. Realmuto and Gordon were both out 1-3-6 after reaching on singles.
"I was able to hold and see they were taking off and make a good throw," Anderson said. "To get out of those situations with pickoffs is not really how you draw it up, but whatever works."
Miami rookie Justin Nicolino (1-1) flopped in the follow-up to his impressive major league debut, when he pitched seven shutout innings to beat the Reds. The left-hander allowed five runs in four innings and departed after throwing only 62 pitches.
The Dodgers had a 5-1 lead by the fourth, which made things easier for Anderson.
"It wasn’t a laugher," catcher A.J. Ellis said, "but we did have some separation early, which gives us room to work with and makes you attack the zone."
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Before the game, the Dodgers reinstated RHP Pedro Baez (right pectoral strain) from the DL and optioned LHP Ian Thomas to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Baez struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth. … LHP Paco Rodriguez (elbow) is expected to come off the DL on Monday. … Puig was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game because of an open callus on his left hand. He pinch-hit in the eighth and grounded out.
UP NEXT
Kershaw (5-5, 3.33) is scheduled to start Saturday against RHP Tom Koehler (5-4, 3.76).
