Trevor Bauer and Jack Flaherty kept offense to a minimum through half the game, then Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor helped the Los Angeles Dodgers break it open late for a 9-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lux and Taylor opened the scoring in the second inning when they combined for back-to-back home runs off Flaherty. It marked a third time this season the Dodgers have combined for consecutive homers.
Flaherty settled in from there as he finished with just the two hits and two runs allowed. The right-hander collected nine strikeouts but saw his night come to an end after just 83 pitches over five innings due to left side tightness.
The Dodgers’ 2-0 lead remained intact until Bauer surrendered two home runs in the sixth inning, which propelled the Cardinals to a 3-2 lead. However, it was short-lived as their bullpen immediately allowed L.A. to pull back ahead.
Back-to-back, Jack. pic.twitter.com/bt9xvATuTy
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 1, 2021
All 14 pitches of Chris Taylor's at-bat. pic.twitter.com/nPqCkdOHzC
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 1, 2021
Second career multi-home run game for @TheRealGavinLux! 💪 pic.twitter.com/UOGuuptU6M
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 1, 2021
Following a bases-loaded walk by Will Smith to tie the game, Taylor battled Genesis Cabrera for a 14-pitch at-bat that ended with a three-run double. “He has a good fastball, so I was trying to just be as short as possible,” Taylor said.
“Kind of grind him out and trying to put the ball in play. … I was able to fight off those offspeed pitches and finally got a good swing on one late.”
The Dodgers extended their lead in the eighth inning on Lux’s second career multi-homer game, an RBI base hit from Matt Beaty and Mookie Betts driving a run in on a double. Betts was overshadowed but reached on four of five plate appearances in his return to the lineup.
Dodgers rest Jansen
By stretching their lead out to five runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers were afforded the opportunity to rest Kenley Jansen. Phil Bickford instead handled the ninth inning and retired the side in order.
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