Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After winning the first four games in a row against the Giants to start 2021, the Dodgers fell 8-5 tonight after a late homer from Buster Posey was answered by a late homer from Austin Barnes, which led to Albert Pujols being robbed of a walk-off, and the Giants rallying in extras to win it.
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Walker Buehler entered the start rolling, coming off arguably his two best starts of the season in which he allowed just a single run over 14 innings. After facing the minimum in the 1st, he ended up matching the runs allowed total from his last 14 innings in the 2nd, though he didn’t really deserve that fate. With one out, Brandon Crawford ripped a double off the wall and he advanced to third after Will Smith got crossed up for a passed ball. That was cashed in by a Donovan Solano sacrifice fly and it was 1-0 in the 2nd.
Opposing Buehler was Anthony DeSclafani, who in his last start gave up 10 runs in 2.2 innings to the Dodgers, and saw his ERA balloon from 2.03 to 3.54. The bats immediately got a scoring chance in the 1st when Brandon Crawford almost literally booted a grounder in the 5-6 hole that allowed Mookie Betts to get to second. However, the next three batter all hit lazy flies to waste the opportunity.
The first two batters of the 2nd were ineffective against DeSclafani as well, but Matt Beaty changed that by turning on a quality up-and-in fastball and skying it down the line in right. It fell into the stands just out of the reach of Mike Yastrzemski for Beaty’s second homer of the year to tie the game at 1-1.
Buehler got into minor trouble in the 3rd but worked out of it, then worked a clean 4th, and was one out away from doing that in the 5th as well. However, he hung a curve to Steven Duggar and he yanked it into the right-field seats for a 2-1 lead. He also ran into trouble in the 6th, issuing two walks and a stolen base, but escaping thanks to a surprising running play in left by Yoshi Tsutsugo.
Buehler didn’t have his best today but managed to gut through it nevertheless: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 92 Pitches.
Meanwhile, DeSclafani was constantly in trouble. In the 3rd he loaded the bases with two outs but the Dodgers couldn’t make him pay. The 4th was similar as a walk and a single cornered the runners with nobody out, but a grounder to first led to a runner being cut down at the plate. Then after a sac bunt from Buehler advanced the runners, they again couldn’t capitalize.
After falling behind in the top of the inning, Justin Turner came up with a one-out single in the 5th and Will Smith then walked. A fly out to advance JT made the Dodgers 0-for-7 with RISP in the game to that point, but Chris Taylor ended that with a single past Crawford to tie it at 2-2.
That knocked DeSclafani out for Caleb Baragar, who got the final out to keep things tied. Baragar kept on going in the 6th, issuing a walk and giving up a deep fly ball to the warning track in center to Max Muncy, but keeping the game tied. Zack Littell got the 8th, issuing a walk but no runs.
Mitch White ended up taking over for the Dodgers in the 7th, carving up the Giants with a ground out and two strikeouts. Coming off his ridiculous outing yesterday, Blake Treinen wasn’t as sharp today, hitting a batter and issuing a walk with one out before giving up a three-run homer to Buster Posey to break the game open at 5-2. After Treinen got another out, he was removed probably for rest reasons, and Edwin Uceta completed the last four outs.
Jake McGee got a scoreless 8th, and Tyler Rogers got the 9th. With one out, Rogers gave up back-to-back singles to Justin Turner and Smith, but while Gavin Lux hit one hard to first he could only avoid a double play. With Barnes coming up, the big blow with two outs seemed unlikely, but Barnes shocked everybody by smoking a three-run homer to tie the game at 5-5.
Just as crazy, Pujols stepped up next and crushed one to left, and it certainly made it over the wall but into Mike Tauchman‘s glove as he robbed a potential walk-off.
Tauchman takes back a walk-off! 😱 pic.twitter.com/gRCjUOqPFL
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2021
Kenley Jansen entered for extras in the 10th, getting a fly out to start but then giving up a single to drive in a run. It was the first hit he allowed since May 17. Kenley then followed with a wild pitch and a walk, and struck out Posey, but then gave up a two-run double to right against Evan Longoria after Sheldon Neuse took an … interesting route. 21 pitches was enough for Kenley, and Phil Bickford entered to get the final out of the inning.
Jarlin Garcia entered in the 10th and got a surprising drama-free 1-2-3 frame to close it.
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The Dodgers fall to 31-20 on the season and are now 1.5 games back of the Padres in the NL West.
Back at it again tomorrow afternoon at 1:15 HST/4:15 PST/7:15 EST on FOX. Julio Urias (3.03 ERA/2.83 FIP/3.51 DRA) will face Logan Webb (4.09 ERA/3.54 FIP/3.51 DRA), who is coming off the DL after a right shoulder strain.
