The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t get their offense back on track but produced just enough and received another stellar start from Tony Gonsolin for a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of the Freeway Series.
The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak in the process and remained tied with the San Diego Padres for first place in the National League West.
Like in his two previous starts, Gonsolin took the mound with the Dodgers coming off a loss. He once again proved to be a stopper and extended his career-best streak of consecutive starts with at least six innings pitched to six.
Gonsolin didn’t allow a hit until Shohei Ohtani’s one-out single in the fourth inning. Ohtani was then caught stealing for the fifth time in 12 attempts this season. Ohtani wound up having the Angels’ lone hit off the right-hander.
Gonsolin collected six strikeouts and got through 6.1 scoreless innings before turning the game over to the Dodgers bullpen. He exited with a 1-0 lead, an MLB-best 1.42 ERA and after pitching into the seventh inning for the first time since September 2020.
Caleb Ferguson, Daniel Hudson and Craig Kimbrel combined to pitch the final 2.2 innings. Kimbrel dealt with a nine-minute delay as home-plate umpire Nate Tomlinson had to be removed from the game after being struck in the face by a shard from Mike Trout’s bat on his one-out single.
Play resumed with an Ohtani double and a walk loaded the bases, but Kimbrel then put an end to the rally for his 12th save of the season.
Dodgers lineup still sputtering
Noah Syndergaard had a perfect game until walking Freddie Freeman with one out in the fourth inning. Trea Turner followed that with an infield single for the Dodgers’ first hit.
Will Smith later kept the inning alive with a two-out walk that loaded the bases, and Justin Turner’s RBI walk gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Syndergaard threw 40 pitches in the inning but limited the damage and escaped a bases-loaded jam.
L.A. appeared prime to add onto their lead when Chris Taylor led off the fifth inning with a ground-rule double and promptly stole third base. However, he was stranded by Gavin Lux, Mookie Betts and Freeman.
Betts did provide some insurance with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Dodgers finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
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