Chris Taylor responded to his first start of the postseason with two hits and three runs scored Saturday night, igniting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-2 romp over the host San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of their National League Division Series.
Aided by left-hander Julio Urias’ five strong innings, the Dodgers evened the best-of-five series that now heads to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
“As we’ve gone all season long, we’ll turn the page and get ready for an off day of preparation and get ready for a Game 3,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
Urias (1-0) contributed a two-out, RBI single to a two-run second inning before watching his teammates, shut out by three Giants pitchers in Game 1, bust out for the first time in the series with a four-run sixth.
“We knew today was a whole new day to try to tie the series,” Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger said afterward on FOX Sports. “We’ve been down before. Just another baseball game for us. A huge win against a really good pitcher as well. Proud of our guys. We stayed with our approach and our plan and we executed it well and it showed today.”
With Los Angeles clinging to a 2-1 lead, Trea Turner’s double set the stage for two-run doubles by Bellinger and A.J. Pollock after the Giants pulled starter Kevin Gausman (0-1) three batters into the inning.
Making his first career postseason start, Gausman was charged with four runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out seven.
The Dodgers made it a blowout with a three-run eighth that featured a solo home run by Will Smith. Taylor and Pollock both singled in the inning before pinch-hitter Matt Beaty and Corey Seager provided RBI singles.
“We gave ourselves a chance tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Not afraid to get into counts and use the whole field. Just up and down the lineup. Just a well-played baseball game. Hopefully that’s something our understanding of that process, that mind-set can pay dividends and we can continue it the whole series.”
Los Angeles bombed the Giants’ normally reliable bullpen for five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“Tough one,” Giants reliever Dominic Leone said. “You have two teams that are really talented, 100-plus win teams. Sometimes you’re going to have a night like this. Unfortunately, it was tonight for us.”
Urias, who left for a pinch hitter in the Dodgers’ four-run sixth, limited the Giants to one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out five in improving his career postseason record to 7-2.
Donovan Solano and Brandon Crawford drove in the Giants’ runs, Solano with a sacrifice fly in the second and Crawford with an RBI single in the sixth.
Pollock and Smith scored twice apiece for the Dodgers, who had totaled just three runs in their first two postseason games, including a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL wild-card game.
Buster Posey had three hits and Crawford two for the Giants, who were outhit 11-6.
–Field Level Media
