Chris Taylor Homers, Dodgers Shutout Cubs Again, 5-0

No Cubs no.

Chris Taylor hit a two-run home run and Chase Utley did the rest, as the Los Angeles Dodgers shutout the Chicago Cubs, 5-0, for the second straight day at Dodger Stadium.

Both terms were hitless through the first three innings before Utley knocked in a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.

One inning later, Taylor slugged his sixth home run of the season off John Lackey to give L.A. a three-run lead.

"He walked the guy before me, so I had a feeling he wanted to get ahead," said Taylor who was swinging on the first pitch of his two-run home run. "I just wanted to be aggressive, and he left a slider up over the middle of the plate."

When Taylor is in the Dodgers starting lineup, L.A. is 18-7, and the utility player has more home runs this season than Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Logan Forsythe, and Adrian Gonzalez combined.

"I don't care where I play," added Taylor. "I just wanted to be on the field."

Six batters later, it was Utley again as he knocked in two runs with a bases-loaded single to right field.

After homering on Thursday and Friday, Utley continued to sizzle at the plate as he's batting .356 with six runs, one double, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBI over his last 15 games.

"I've been seeing the ball a little better," said Utley of his torrid stretch. "I enjoy being in the lineup. It's definitely fun to play, so hopefully I can keep it going."

Utley and Taylor provided the Dodgers with all the offense they would need as Brandon McCarthy shut down the Cubs, allowing just two hits, with one walk and six strikeouts in six scoreless innings.

McCarthy (5-1) became the third Dodgers pitcher to reach five wins this season, joining Alex Wood and Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers are the only team in the National League with three pitchers with five wins or more.

"Brandon was very efficieint," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts of his starter. "Somewhere in the fourth inning, something was going on with his knee. It's somewhere in the 'tendinitis' category. After the sixth, I didn't want to push it, so I took him out of harm's way."

Lackey (4-5) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits, with four walks and five strikeouts in five innings.

Ross Stripling recorded his first career save by throwing three consecutive scoreless innings of relief after McCarthy left the game.

The Cubs have yet to score in the series, and have tallied 18 consecutive innings in Los Angeles without a run. It was the first time Chicago was shutout in back-to-back games in three years. 

"As a group, they carry out their game plan perfectly," said Cubs' manager Joe Maddon of the Dodgers. "They did the same thing to us today that they did last night. We didn't make any adjustments and we have to make some tomorrow."

L.A. has won eight of their last ten games and three of five from the Cubs this season.

Up Next:

The Dodgers will look for the sweep on Sunday as Clayton Kershaw heads to the mound opposite John Lester in a potential Cy Young Award showdown. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10PM PST.