Dodgers open with back-to-back HRs, lose to Phillies

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Tuesday, September 19, 2017

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with back-to-back home runs.

Chris Taylor hit an inside-the-park home run to lead off, and Justin Turner homered to left off Philadelphia starter Nick Pivetta.

However, the Dodgers didn't score again until the ninth inning, and it wasn't enough to beat the Phillies after Aaron Altherr hit a grand slam, the first ever given up by Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers fell 4-3.

The Phillies are the only team to allow an inside-the-park home run to the leadoff hitter this season -- and they have done it twice, also giving up one to the San Francisco Giants' Denard Span on Aug. 19.

The last team to allow multiple leadoff inside-the-park home runs in the same season was the 1936 Pirates (who allowed one to Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler of the Reds and Terry Moore of the Cardinals).

The last Dodgers player to hit a leadoff inside-the-park homer was current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, in the bottom of the first inning against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 9, 2003.