Meeting for the first time since the 2017 World Series, the script was a familiar one at Dodger Stadium as Justin Verlander and George Springer combined to lead the Houston Astros to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The night began on a positive note for the Dodgers as Joc Pederson hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning for a second consecutive game. However, that wound up being just one of four hits and the Dodgers’ only run off Verlander.
He retired the next six batters faced, including five by strike out. Chris Taylor led off the bottom of the third with a base hit but never advanced. Aside from a Cody Bellinger base hit in the fourth inning, Verlander otherwise struck out the side.
The Dodgers’ next hit off the veteran right-hander didn’t come until Taylor’s leadoff single in the eighth inning. Verlander got Pederson swinging to tie a season high and career high (fourth time) with his 14th strikeout before handing it over to the Astros bullpen.
Taylor stole second base but Hector Rondon retired Manny Machado to end the inning. Rondon remained on the mound in the ninth and retired Justin Turner, Yasmani Grandal and Bellinger to complete the four-out save.
Where Verlander was dominant, Alex Wood labored through his six innings of work. To his credit, Wood still managed to limit the damage.
After stranding a walk and single in the first, Wood wasn’t as fortunate in the second, and his defense didn’t lend a hand. With two on and two outs, George Springer lined an RBI double into left-center field.
Bellinger attempted to make a sliding stop and though he got to the ball, it slipped out of his grasp and toward left field, allowing a second run to score and the Astros to take a 2-1 lead.
Six of the first 11 Astros batters reached safely, but Wood then allowed just one hit over the next four innings. He ran to the mound to begin the seventh, only to be checked on by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and trainer Nate Lucero, which led to an exit for the southpaw at 105 pitches.
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