The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to eight games by hanging on for a 3-2 victory against the New York Mets, with Trea Turner, Walker Buehler and Alex Vesia among those playing a key role.
Turner legging out a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning proved key as he then took third base on a fly out to center field and scored when Justin Turner grounded to shortstop.
Trea Turner set the table once again in the third inning with a one-out single that Max Muncy followed with an RBI double. Corey Seager extended the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0 with an RBI base hit before Carlos Carrasco could get out of the inning.
He and the Mets bullpen kept the Dodgers in check from there as they combined to retire the final 17 batters faced. That kept the pressure on Walker Buehler during the duration of his longest start of the season at 7.2 innings.
That Max Muncy guy doubles home Trea Turner with a double. pic.twitter.com/K8Dvbaf17I
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 21, 2021
Corey Seager singles in another run, looks annoyed at first. pic.twitter.com/QZyQeOgi17
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 21, 2021
.@Alex_Vesia has us hyped.
pic.twitter.com/4qgvAhOz25
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 21, 2021
New uni, same dominant outing from Walker. pic.twitter.com/LlJOKaOYHn
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 21, 2021
Buehler’s first brush with trouble came when the Mets put two on with nobody out in the second inning, but he retired the next three batters. Pete Alonso got New York on the board with a leadoff home run in the fourth, and a base hit followed but Buehler kept the lead at 3-1.
That was part of retiring 12 batters in a row until Patrick Mazeika led off the eighth inning with a base hit on the first pitch he saw. An infield single then put runners at the corners on with one out.
Buehler got a generous call to go his way on a strikeout, but couldn’t get through the inning as Alonso drove in a run on a swinging bunt. Buehler was upset with two called balls in the at-bat and was ejected by home-plate umpire Nestor Ceja on his way to the dugout after a pitching change.
Alex Vesia inherited two runners from Buehler and walked the bases loaded before freezing J.D. Davis to end the inning. Kenley Jansen then entered in the ninth and converted his 26th save of the season.
Buehler adds to Cy Young Award case
Buehler has gone at least six innings in all but one of his 25 starts this season, and a minimum of seven frames in 11 of those. His 2.11 ERA is the best mark in the Majors.
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