The Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts scores behind Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy on a Corey Seager single in the first inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Tue Sep 22, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, newly crowned as American League Western Division championships, faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA Tuesday night. The Dodgers, owners of the best record in baseball, needed one more win to win the National League Western Division. They took the A’s down 7-2 to accomplish the goal.

The A’s got off to a good start when Robbie Grossman homered off the left-field foul pole to make it 1-0. The Dodgers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first to tie it 1-1.

The A’s scored a run in the third without the benefit of a hit. A’s catcher Sean Murphy walked to start the inning. Murphy advanced to second and third on two ground outs. He scored on a wild pitch. the A’s led 2-1. They would not score again. The Dodgers put two on the board in the bottom of the third. With two out, Corey Seager singled. Former Athletic, Max Muncy, blasted his twelfth of the year to give the Dodgers the lead 3-2.

Montas gave up two more solo home runs in the fourth. Dodger second baseman Chris Taylor hit his eighth, and A.J.Pollock his thirteenth. LA leads 5-2.

The Dodgers added one in the fifth when Corey Seager hit his fourteenth off T.J.McFarland. The Dodgers’ final run came in the seventh. Mookie Betts reached on a rare error by Matt Olson. A’s pitcher walked Seager and Muncy to load the bases with no out. Cody Bellinger’s infield single drove in Betts with the Dodgers’ seventh run. LA wins 7-2.

Game Notes- Frankie Montas had another rough outing Tuesday night. His line was four innings, seven hits, five runs, and he was rocked for three big flies.
With the win, the Dodgers improved to 39-16. They will be the number one seed throughout the playoffs. The A’s are now 33-21.

The A’s hitters struck out thirteen times. The line for the team was two runs, five hits, and one error. The Dodgers’ line was seven runs, eleven hits, and one error.
Sean Manaea will go for Oakland Tuesday Night. Julio Arias will pitch for LA.