Chris Taylor hit a two-run homer and Trevor Bauer struck out 11 in 6 1/3 innings to help the Los Angeles Dodgers post a 2-1 victory over the host San Francisco Giants on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux each had two hits as the Dodgers picked up their fifth straight victory and ninth in the past 10 games. The Giants had a five-game winning streak halted and lost for just the fourth time in 14 contests.
Los Angeles out-hit San Francisco 10-2.
Bauer (5-2) gave up one unearned run on two hits and four walks in a 126-pitch outing. Nate Jones retired five consecutive batters, and fellow right-hander Blake Treinen tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save.
Alex Dickerson’s single in the second and Brandon Belt’s double in the fourth were the lone hits for the Giants one day after they produced 19 runs and 16 hits against the Cincinnati Reds.
Giants left-hander Alex Wood (5-1) gave up two runs and eight hits over six innings while pitching against his former team. Wood struck out seven and walked two.
The damage against Wood came in the third inning as Betts doubled with one out prior to Taylor’s blast. Taylor jumped on a 2-0 slider and drove it over the fence in center for his sixth homer of the season.
San Francisco got on the board in the sixth. Bauer walked two batters in the frame prior to Evan Longoria coming up to the plate with two outs.
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The count was 1-1 when Longoria hit a one-hopper back to the mound that caromed off Bauer’s glove. Bauer scrambled to his right to retrieve the ball but threw wildly to first as Mike Yastrzemski came around from second to score.
Bauer recovered to retire Dickerson on a flyball to deep right-center to end the frame.
Bauer came out to start the seventh and walked Donovan Solano before fanning Mike Tauchman. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts then removed Bauer and brought in Jones, who was promoted from the minors prior to Friday’s game.
Jones struck out Darin Ruf and retired Yastrzemski on a grounder to end the seventh, then worked a perfect eighth.
–Field Level Media