OOTP 21: July 17, 2020 – Dodgers 4, Giants 2 – Betts’ early bomb boosts Buehler to victory

Mookie Botts essentially clinched Friday’s victory in the first inning, as his three-run homer was all the Dodgers (59-39) needed with Walker Buehler on the mound.

After Justin Turner and Code Bellinger reaching base against Tyler Anderson, Botts hit his 19th home run of the season to take a 3-1 lead en route to the 4-2 win. Buehler allowed both runs on solo homers by the Giants, Austin Slater in the first inning and Mauricio Dubon in the fifth, but struck out 10 to no walks.

It feels good to get this one,” Buehler told the Los Angeles Chronicle, as he improved to 10-5 this fake season with a 3.19 ERA.

Apart from the two homers, the Giants mustered just three singles against the Dodgers’ pitching staff with Dave Robots leaning on Blake Treinen and Caleb Ferguson for the second straight day. After Buehler finished up his seven innings of work, each reliever worked one apiece with Treinen allowing one hit and Fergson facing the minimum for the second straight appearance.

Ferguson’s save was his seventh in 13 tries, which … is still pretty horrendous.

Buehler drove in the Dodgers’ fourth run of the day with an RBI single off of Anderson in the fourth to score Matrix Muncy.

That’s about it for Friday, with Julio Urias and Drew Smyly starting for their respective teams. The Dodgers will look to extend their winning streak to five games as they are now on about a 97/98-win pace.

About Cody Bashore

Cody Bashore is a lifelong Dodger fan originally from Carpinteria, California (about 80 miles north of Dodger Stadium along the coast). He left California to attend Northern Arizona University in 2011, and has lived in Arizona full-time since he graduated in 2014 with a journalism degree.