Steve Webb
Game 144, 9/9/2024: Dodgers 4, Cubs 10
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Former Dodgers Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch came back to Dodger Stadium and had monster games against their old team, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 10-4 victory. The two ex-Dodgers combined for six RBIs, helping the Cubs overwhelm a struggling Walker Buehler, whose poor outing raised doubts about his postseason roster spot.
Bellinger, a former National League MVP and fan favorite in Los Angeles, continued his revenge tour with a huge performance. In the first inning, with two outs and Dansby Swanson on first, Bellinger launched a two-run homer, his 16th of the season, into the right-field stands. The blast gave the Cubs an early 2-0 lead and sent a message to the Dodgers faithful that Bellinger still had plenty of power. He wasn’t done there, though. In the sixth, Bellinger drew a walk, then scored on a single by Busch, another former Dodger prospect, extending the Cubs’ lead.
Busch, who struggled to find consistent playing time with the Dodgers before being traded to the Cubs, made his mark with a standout game. In the first inning, he singled to right, driving in Isaac Paredes and giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Busch’s biggest moment came in the fourth inning when he crushed a solo home run to left, his 17th of the season, making it 4-0. He added a double in the eighth and scored after Pete Crow-Armstrong’s sacrifice fly, finishing with four hits, a home run, and three RBIs.
Walker Buehler struggled from the outset. Buehler was unable to command his pitches, allowing three runs in the first inning and another in the fourth before being pulled in the sixth with two men on. His final line—five innings, seven hits, five earned runs, and just three strikeouts—was far from the ace-level performance the Dodgers needed as they prepare for the postseason. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, Buehler’s role in the playoffs looks uncertain to say the least.
The Dodgers had moments where they fought back, including two-run fifth and a two-run homer by Mookie Betts in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit, and they left far too many runners on base (10 LOB for the game). For now, all eyes will be on how Buehler responds in his next outing and whether Bellinger and Busch continue to torment us the rest of the series.
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