The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided losing a second consecutive series behind a 6-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
Walker Buehler wasn’t overly sharp in his first start since throwing a complete-game shutout, but the Dodgers lineup did their part to provide him with early run support.
Mookie Betts started the bottom of the first by reaching on an infield single, and Freddie Freeman dropped a base hit into left field to put two on. Will Smith broke the scoreless tie with an RBI single to right field.
Smith finished 1-for-4 with the RBI and two strikeouts in his first start in the cleanup spot this season.
After singles by Hanser Alberto and Gavin Lux, Betts’ grounder to third base that could have been an inning-ending double play instead resulted in a throwing error on Jeimer Candelario. Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI double and Trea Turner’s groundout extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0.
Turner went 0-for-4, which snapped his on-base streak at 39 games.
The Dodgers added onto their lead in the seventh inning, with a rally started by Chris Taylor’s one-out single snapping Eduardo Rodriguez’s string of batters retired at 12 in a row.
Cody Bellinger ended an 0-for-21 skid since being named National League Player of the Week with an RBI double, and a Javier Báez error resulted in the Dodgers scoring a second run.
That proved key as the Tigers hit home runs in the eighth and ninth innings, and had the tying run at the plate when the game ended.
Giants-Dodgers series preview
Even with losing three of their past five games, the Dodgers head into a series with the San Francisco Giants sitting in first place of the National League West.
Carlos Rodón and Alex Wood are listed as Giants’ probables, while only Julio Urías is penciled in for the Dodgers. The team is considering multiple options for the series finale on Wednesday, including Tony Gonsolin and a bullpen game.
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