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Sports Oct 09, 2021
Photo courtesy of Ian D'Andrea/Flickr
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Cody Bellinger and AJ Pollock hit back-to-back two-run doubles in the sixth inning to give the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants Saturday evening, evening their National League Division Series at one game apiece.
Left-hander Julio Urias limited the Giants to one run and three hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one, for the victory. Four Dodger relievers allowed one run and three hits over the final four innings.
Game 3 of the best-of-five series will be played Monday at Dodger Stadium.
After being limited to five hits in Game 1 Friday, the Dodgers had 11 hits Saturday, including two each by Chris Taylor and Pollock. Justin Taylor was the only Dodger starter without a hit.
Taylor started in center field after not playing Friday. Bellinger, Friday’s center fielder, moved to first base, replacing Matt Beaty, who was hitless in three at-bats Friday.
Bellinger had his first multi-RBI game since Aug. 22. The 2019 NL MVP hit .165 during a regular season in which he was placed on the injured list three times and missed 61 games because of a left calf contusion, left hamstring tightness and a left rib fracture.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman, the first of six San Francisco pitchers, was charged with the loss, allowing four runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking three. He was removed after walking Will Smith.
Bellinger, the second batter to face reliever Dominic Leone, doubled in Trea Turner, who doubled leading off the sixth, and Smith, who walked. Pollock doubled in Taylor, who drew a full-count walk from Leone, and Bellinger.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second with two runs. Urias’ two-out single drove in Taylor, who doubled. Mookie Betts followed with a single, driving in Pollock, who was intentionally walked.
The Giants scored once in their half of the second. Leadoff hitter Wilmer Flores drew a bases-loaded walk, moved to second on Brandon Crawford’s single, third on Evan Longoria’s flyout and scored on Donovan Solano’s sacrifice fly.
San Francisco scored its other run in the sixth. Pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade drew a four-pitch walk from reliever Joe Kelly with one out, moved to second on Buster Posey’s single, went to third on Flores’ fielder’s choice and scored on Crawford’s single.
Betts, the Dodgers’ right fielder, ended the inning by throwing out Flores at third base.
The Dodgers combined Smith’s leadoff homer, singles by Taylor, Pollock, Beaty, who was pinch-hitting for reliever Corey Knebel, and Corey Seager for three runs in the eighth before a crowd at Oracle Park announced at 42,275.
