Gonzalez powers Dodgers past Mariners in Civil Rights Game

Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and Scott Van Slyke drove in a pair of runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed 5-2 over the Seattle Mariners in the ninth annual Civil Rights Game at Dodgers Stadium.

Gonzalez honored the late Jackie Robinson by becoming the first Dodgers player since the man who broke the color barrier in baseball to reach base at least two times in each of the first nine games of a season. Gonzalez's 19 hits through the first nine games are also a franchise record.

Taijuan Walker, who was ecstatic to have the honor of pitching for Seattle on Jackie Robinson Day, had a forgettable outing. The young righty yielded five earned runs on six hits while walking four over four innings to take the loss.

Nelson Cruz, however, homered for a fifth consecutive game for the Mariners in a losing cause.

Related: Mariners' Cruz continues torrid start, homers in 5th straight game

Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, was escorted by Dodgers great Sandy Koufax onto the field for a touching pre-game ceremony to celebrate Jackie's special day across Major League Baseball.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

The Dodgers also announced during a press conference they plan to erect a statue of Jackie Robinson on the Dodger Stadium grounds in the near future.