MLB Update

When Curtis Granderson was traded by the New York Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, he saluted the fans and his time in New York (he previously played for the New York Yankees) and went out in grand style. He hit a grand slam in his last at-bat with the Mets.

On Monday night, he showed he could enjoy life in L.A. with that same gusto.

Granderson hit a grand slam in a five-run fifth inning, helping turn a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers went on to win 6-5 in 12 innings on Yasiel Puig’s homer in the 12th. For Granderson, who hit a solo shot on Sunday for the Dodgers in a 6-1 loss to the Pirates, it was his eighth home run in 17 games this month.

“That’s what he does. He puts together big at-bats and gets big hits,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The grand slam was the eighth of the season for the high-flying Dodgers. The club record is 10. And the Dodgers continue to run with the away National League West Division, leading the Colorado Rockies by 20 games. L.A.’s record of 88-35 (.715 winning percentage) is by far the best in the majors.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman