If you tuned in late for (or arrived late at) Friday night’s series and homestand opener between the Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium, you probably missed the game-winning hit and game-winning run in the 2:43-long contest.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Dodgers’ fourth batter of the night, 37-year-old Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, slugged a two-run home run over the left-field wall for a (then) 2-0 Dodger lead over the American League Central last-place Tigers.

Oh, sure, Detroit would eventually score a run, but the final score would end up being 5-1, to move the Dodgers back into first place in the NL West, albeit by mere percentage points of the hated San Francisco Giants, but hey, first place is first place, right?

“It felt good to get my first one of the year out of the way and put us ahead two-nothing; give (Dodgers left-hander) Tyler (Anderson) a chance and go out and just attack their hitters,” Turner told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson after the game.

The Dodgers would add single runs over the next three innings (and the Tigers their one run in the top of the third), for their 13th win of the season.

The Dodgers’ third run of the night came on a mammoth solo home run by Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor that landed halfway up the Left Field Pavilion in left-center field, but by then, the game was already in the bag.

As for Anderson, all the 32-year-old Las Vegas, NV native and first-round draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Oregon by the Seattle Mariners did was allow only one run and one hit, while walking one and striking out three in his sharp 5.0 innings pitched, to pick up his second win of the young season.

“It was great; it was really good … gave up a two-out base hit for that one run. Outside of that, a lot of soft contact,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Anderson.

Game-2 of the brief interleague series with the Tigers will be on Saturday at 7:10 pm PT and will feature future 34-year-old future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw against 24-year-old Tigers right-hander Beau Brieske. You definitely do not want to tune in late for this one, as Kershaw needs only four strikeouts to pass Dodgers Hall of Fame right-hander Don Sutton as the franchise’s all-time strikeout leader, who struck out 2,696 during his 16 seasons with the Dodgers.

Play Ball!

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