Coming off a successful homestand, the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their momentum rolling with a narrow 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the first meeting between the two storied rivals.
The Dodgers pulled to within a game of the Giants for first place in the National League West, and can potentially come out of the weekend set at Oracle Park ahead in the standings.
Alex Wood was effective early against his former teammates, collecting three strikeouts and inducing a bevy of grounders through two scoreless innings. But he left a 2-0 slider to Chris Taylor out over the plate and it was sent to straightaway center field for a two-run home run.
Taylor acknowledged after the win there was some benefit of being familiar with Wood after facing him during Summer Camp last year, but that the left-hander got the better of the matchup at times as well.
Chris Taylor with a two-run rocket to dead center. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/eAgvcPaPdD
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 22, 2021
𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃?!#Dodgers x @BauerOutage pic.twitter.com/74wEBDvK6e
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 22, 2021
Although the Dodgers had multiple opportunities to add to their lead throughout the game, Wood held them to just the two runs despite allowing eight hits over six innings.
Dodgers lean on Bauer
One night removed from a bullpen game, the Dodgers only had Dennis Santana, Blake Treinen and Edwin Uceta for options in relief. Because of that, L.A. called up Nate Jones prior to first pitch.
Bauer did what he could to lighten the load on the bullpen by extending to 126 pitches over 6.1 innings. He allowed an unearned run in the sixth on a throwing error, and finished with 11 strikeouts.
Bauer was booed by Giants fans as he walked off the field, and encouraged them to continue. “They’re going to hate me anyway,” he said. “So might as well lean into it. I like when the crowd is into it.”
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