ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Taylor scored on Max Muncy's sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 Saturday night for their season-high fourth consecutive victory.
Mookie Betts hit a tying homer in the seventh and drove in three runs for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who also got three RBIs from Muncy while improving to 9-2 on the road this season.
“There was a lot of good things from tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s a great lineup over there. They’re not going to lay down, and for us to respond like we did ... was very encouraging.”
Mike Trout homered and drove in three runs for the Angels, who have lost three straight and six of eight after dropping the first two in the Freeway Series.
The Dodgers went ahead in the 10th without a hit. Taylor started on second, stole third and scored easily on Muncy's fly to right off Keynan Middleton (0-1), who retired all three of his batters.
“We did so many things well,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “We’ve just got to keep pounding on that door until we start winning the game of inches. ... I’m happy with the way we went after it tonight. They scored a run without getting a hit that last inning. That’s part of the new method of baseball that everybody is clamoring for.”
Jake McGee (2-0) got five outs, and Kenley Jansen pitched a dominant 10th for his sixth save.
These Southern California rivals’ season-long trajectories continued for another day, with the Angels spiraling to another defeat despite mostly solid play and another landmark homer from Trout.
“It feels like there’s times when we’re getting ready to turn a corner, and then we lose games like this,” Angels starter Andrew Heaney said. “I think guys are ready to turn that corner.”
The three-time AL MVP took a share of the major league lead with his ninth homer in 17 games this season, a two-run shot in the first inning. Trout has a whopping eight homers in 11 games in August since he became a father for the first time.
Betts tied it with a bases-loaded single in the second. This Freeway Series is the first since Betts agreed to a 12-year, $365 million contract extension stretching through 2032 that will keep him in this rivalry even longer than Trout's current contract, a 12-year, $426.5 million deal through 2030.
Betts’ homer was his eighth of the season and his fourth in three games. He has 11 RBIs in his last seven games as he heats up along with his new team.
“We still have a long way to go, a couple of guys that haven’t swung the bat well that we need to come around,” Betts said. “We’re close, but we’re not there.”
Muncy put the Dodgers up 4-2 in the third with a two-out single past Anthony Rendon at third.
Rendon answered with a ground-rule RBI double moments later. The new third baseman's four-game homer streak ended, but he has driven in six runs in five games.
Right after Tommy La Stella tied it in the fifth with an RBI single, the Angels reclaimed the lead when Trout's grounder brought home David Fletcher, who had extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.
JANSEN VS TROUT
Jansen ended his second save of the series by throwing three straight high strikes past Trout, who never swung. Trout is 1 for 8 with six strikeouts against the Dodgers' vaunted closer during their careers.
STARTERS
Walker Buehler remained winless in four starts, yielding six hits and four earned runs while failing to get out of the fifth inning in his Angel Stadium debut. The right-hander left trailing 5-4, keeping him winless in two career starts against the Halos.
“Obviously the results aren’t what I wanted or what our team needs,” Buehler said. “I’m just pretty lucky we have the team we have, and I haven’t sunk the ship yet.”
Heaney pitched 5 2-3 innings of five-hit ball for the Angels, walking four and striking out six. He was in position to win when the Angels escaped the sixth with a lead, but Betts homered off Félix Peña leading off the seventh.
FLETCH'S FLING
Fletcher fielded a grounder and threw out Betts from the outfield grass in the fourth inning on a jaw-dropping defensive play. Along with his hitting streak, the do-everything infielder is batting .306 and has excelled at shortstop in place of injured four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons.
“I've never seen it done like that,” Maddon said. “You have to say it’s as good as you’ve ever seen.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: C Will Smith went on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 13 with neck inflammation stemming from an injury incurred against San Diego last week. The club recalled 22-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz to back up Austin Barnes. Ruiz, an elite prospect who reported late to summer camp, will make his major league debut Sunday, Roberts said.
Angels: C Jason Castro has a stiff neck, and the club recalled C Anthony Bemboom from its alternate training site.
UP NEXT
Julio Teherán (0-1, 13.50 ERA) makes his third start for his new team and attempts to beat the Dodgers for the first time in eight career starts. The Dodgers counter with 22-year-old Dustin May (1-1, 2.75 ERA), who faces the Halos for the first time.
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