Tony Gonsolin wasn’t worried when he left an early fastball on the first pitch over the plate and trailed the San Francisco Giants on Brandon Crawford’s home run.
Gonsolin knows that the Los Angeles Dodgers rarely fail to give their pitchers enough support to make a few mistakes.
“Our offense is going to generate runs,” he said. “It’s just a question of when.”
When they finished off the Giants on Wednesday night, the Dodgers left no question as to who has the early lead in the NL West — and in the latest edition of this storied rivalry.
Mookie Betts and Max Muncy homered, Freddie Freeman added a two-run triple and the Dodgers swept a short series from San Francisco with a 9-1 win.
Trea Turner and Will Smith each had RBI singles in the fourth inning for the Dodgers, who finished with 11 hits after driving in six runs in their last two at-bats against the Giants’ bullpen.
“I think collectively it was the best game we’ve ever played (offensively),” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Just an offensive game well played.”
The Dodgers have won the first two of 19 meetings this season between California clubs that posted a combined 213 wins last season. Los Angeles has won four of five and 15 of 20 after outscoring San Francisco a combined 12-2.
Gonsolin (2-0) pitched three-hit ball over five innings for the Dodgers, striking out five and avoiding trouble despite allowing the Giants’ leadoff hitters to reach base in each of his last four innings. San Francisco took a brief lead in the second when Crawford barely cleared the right-field fence with his second home run of the season.
“When we get starting runners on a consistent basis, we’re going to score runs,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Obviously it didn’t happen in this game. But they beat us all night.”
Alex Wood (2-2) gave up four hits and three runs while pitching into the sixth inning against his former team for the Giants, who have lost three straight and five of six.
“Going through that lineup a few times and staying in a game is all we can ask of our starting pitchers,” Kapler said.
Wood, who finished with seven strikeouts, spent five seasons with the Dodgers in two seasons. He won 16 games in 2017 before returning in 2020 and playing a key role in the playoffs for World Series champion Los Angeles.
Wood retired the first nine Dodgers batters before Betts led off the fourth with a single, catalyzing a two-run rally.
“You know Woody’s a good pitcher,” said Cody Bellinger, who hit a long double and scored a run for LA. “He’s got some funk in delivering him, and he’s got some good stuff. We fought him and then we did a good job of getting in the bullpen and getting those guys.”
Betts crushed Wood’s first pitch of the sixth to deep center, and a fan with a Giants team prevented Mike Yastrzemski from having any chance of retiring him by catching him on the fly from the front row. The home run was Betts’ fourth in a slow-starting season.
Los Angeles added four runs in the seventh on a bases-loaded single by Gavin Lux, a sacrifice fly by Betts and a Freeman triple to right field, which was met with loud chants of “Freddie! Freddy! that have become a regular soundtrack at Chavez Ravine.
VETERANS DAY
Muncy singled in the seventh and added a two-run homer in the eighth, snapping a 15-0 streak and securing just the second two-hit game of his eventful season.
Justin Turner ended his 0-17 slump with a long single immediately after Muncy’s home run.
COACHES ROOM
Giants: Yastrzemski went 1-for-4 in his first game back from the COVID-19 roster. He missed seven games. Luke Williams, the last batter in Tuesday’s loss, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to make room.
Dodgers: LHP David Price has rejoined the team after testing positive for COVID-19 on April 24. He won’t be ready to pitch until next week at the earliest, but he will travel to Chicago with the Dodgers this week.
Giants: The St. Louis Cardinals visit China Basin on Thursday as the Giants open a seven-game homestand. Kapler had not announced a headline.
Dodgers: After Los Angeles’ second day off in four days, Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.55 ERA) will take the mound at Wrigley Field on Friday for Game 1 of the series against the Chicago Cubs.