Taylor homer the difference in Bauer gem against the Giants

SAN FRANCISCO – No moment is too big for the Dodgers’ unique ace Trevor Bauer. In the first of 19 games against the hated San Francisco Giants, Bauer went into hostile territory and completely shut down a Giants offense that had just put up double digits runs multiple times in the last few days. Bauer only surrendered an unearned run in the sixth, but was otherwise perfect. He allowed only two hits en route to a 2-1 win at Oracle Park on Friday night. The difference in the contest: a two-run shot from Chris Taylor early in the game.

Taylor puts Dodgers on top in 3rd

On a day that both starters were dealing, the visiting Dodgers got on the board in the top of the third inning against our old buddy Alex Wood. After Trevor Bauer led off the inning with a strikeout, Mookie Betts ripped a ball to center field that ended up as a double after a bit of a bobble by the defense. Up came the criminally under-rated Chris Taylor, who was sixth in the national league in OPS entering play tonight. Taylor gave a 2-0 slider from Alex Wood a ride to center. It cleared the fence at the 391 sign, just out of the reach of center fielder Mike Tauchman. The Dodgers were up 2-0 going into the middle innings.

Bauer error leads to Giant run

The two teams traded zeroes on the scoreboard for next three innings. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Trevor Bauer became his own worst enemy. With the top of the order coming up, Bauer alternated walks and strikeouts through the first four batters, and the Dodgers ace found himself in a two-on, two-out jam. Hitting out of the five-hole, Evan Longoria hit a comebacker off Bauer’s glove. Bauer rushed to retrieve the ball, but he airmailed the throw to first, allowing Mike Yastrzemski to score all the way from second. It was only Bauer’s first error in four years, but it was a costly one. He now found himself with men on second and third in a 2-1 game. But, the righthander was able to gather himself and get a flyout to end the inning.

Trevor the villain

After the Dodgers failed to score in the top of the seventh, Bauer lobbied hard to go back into the game, even though his pitch count was well north of one hundred pitches. Dave Roberts relented, probably more because of the way his pen had been pushed on Sunday than anything else. He gave up a lead-off walk and notched a strikeout in the seventh before finally being pulled after 126 gutsy pitches on the night. He exited the game to a chorus of boos from the Giant faithful, and was eating it up all the way to the dugout.

𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃?!#Dodgers x @BauerOutage pic.twitter.com/74wEBDvK6e

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 22, 2021

Bauer Outage’s final line for the night: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 11 K. Only four walks and one costly error tainted an otherwise dominant performance.

Nate Jones strong in Dodgers debut

Veteran Nate Jones, just called up from OKC today, came on to try to put out the fire. Jones, lately of the Atlanta Braves, got a friendly call from the home plate umpire to strike out Darren Ruf and then induced a groundball out from Donovan Solano to end the inning.

The Giants would not get another baserunner the rest of the way. Jones came back out in the eighth and put the San Francsicans down 1-2-3. It was a very sharp debut for the 35-year-old right hander. On a day that there weren’t many bullets in the chamber for Dave Roberts, Jones did exactly what the doctor ordered. Five up, five down to send the game into the ninth with the Dodgers clinging to a one-run lead.

Treinan slams the door shut

Blake Treinan couldn’t have been better in the ninth. He needed only eight pitches to shut the Giants down in order. Looking in total control, Treinan got three quick outs to end the game, with the Giants never so much as getting a whiff of a threat going in the inning. For the final out, Treinan did the honors himself, retiring Donovan Solano on a little nubber in front of the mound.

Dodgers now 9-1 in the last ten games

With that win, the Dodgers pull within one game of first place. Now 27-18, they have a chance to pull even with the Giants on Saturday night in a nationally televised game. Walker Buehler, no stranger to the big moment himself, will be toeing the rubber for the Dodgers. The game gets under way at 4:10 PM exclusively on Fox.