Mitch White took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers squandered a comfortable lead before being rescued by Trayce Thompson and Mookie Betts to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 9-6, and extend their winning streak to five games.
Coming off an outing in which the Dodgers suspected he may have tipped pitches, White retired the first eight batters faced. “We dug in on it, and it was specifically that curveball they were taking really good swings on,” manager Dave Roberts said of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“So I think we cleaned some things up.”
White’s early bid for a perfect game ended with a two-out walk in the third inning, and he followed that with another free pass. However, Brandon Belt was unable to take advantage.
Although White had yet to allow a hit on 78 pitches through five innings, Caleb Ferguson began warming up. He then entered the game when White gave up a leadoff single to Austin Wynns in the sixth inning.
Prior to that point, Cody Bellinger and Trea Turner made a pair of highlight-reel sliding catches. Bellinger’s prevented a hit, while Turner completed his in foul territory.
Ferguson retired all four batters faced on the night and has yet to allow a run in 10.1 innings over 11 appearances this season.
White exited with a 5-0 lead that the Dodgers took behind timely hitting and sloppy Giants defense but ultimately evaporated.
Reigning National League Player of the Week Freddie Freeman picked up where he left off, driving a solo home run to center field with two outs in the first inning. Thompson then delivered a two-out double to score Hanser Alberto from first base in the second inning.
Carlos Rodón was on the verge of stranding a pair of runners in the third, only for Luis González to lose Justin Turner’s fly ball to right field. It landed behind González in right field for a two-out, two-run double. Alberto then added an RBI double.
The Dodgers went quiet from there, which kept pressure on their bullpen. Evan Longoria greeted Phil Bickford with a solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Giants went on to load the bases when Alex Vesia’s first pitch hit Austin Slater.
Vesia bounced back with a strikeout but his command remained subpar and he surrendered a game-tying grand slam to Darin Ruf. The grand slam was Ruf’s first of his career.
The Dodgers bullpen continued with its implosion in the eighth inning as Evan Phillips issued a walk and gave up a double to Joc Pederson before getting an out. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Phillips walked in the go-ahead run.
Gavin Lux pinch-hit for Alberto with one out in the eight and started a rally of sorts by sending a double down the third-base line. Thompson came up with another two-out hit as his RBI triple tied the game, and Betts capped off the big inning with a three-run home run.
Dodgers injuries: Justin Turner
Justin Turner was removed in the bottom of the eighth inning due to what the Dodgers initially have diagnosed as abdominal tightness.
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