The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the series finale against the San Francisco Giants, 4-1, as they were unable to solve Logan Webb to pick up the series sweep.
They had a chance to break through in the first inning when they loaded the bases with one out, but Max Muncy struck out swinging and Teoscar Hernández lined out. From there, Webb settled into the game and pitched to the ace-level he’s capable of.
After hitting Will Smith with a pitch in the first inning, Webb went on to retire 13 of the next 15 hitters he faced, only allowing one single from the start of the game until two outs in the fifth inning.
From there, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman both singled, but Smith grounded out to end the fifth. There was also an unfortunate moment for the Dodgers in the fourth inning when Hernández smoked a ball into center field, but Luis Matos went up to rob the would-be home run.
Webb ended up pitching the sixth with two strikeouts, and his night came to an end after six scoreless frames, allowing six baserunners and striking out five over his start.
For the Dodgers, Elieser Hernández made the start after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game, and overall he turned in a solid start. The right-hander pitched six innings while giving up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts to one walk, earning a quality start.
Hernández allowed a two-run homer in the third inning to Mike Yastrzemski, and an RBI-double to Heliot Rmaos in the sixth, but overall he was effective throughout the game.
His outing went about as well as the Dodgers could have hoped for in a bullpen game with a journeyman pitcher starting.
The Dodgers finally got on the board in the eighth inning when Freeman and Smith hit back-to-back singles, which was followed by a sacrifice fly from Max Muncy. But they were unable to score any more after that.
Following Elieser Hernández, Eduardo Salazar, who was also recalled before the game, pitched the final two innings, allowing one run while dealing with an inconsistent umpire.
Camilio Doval earned the save in the ninth inning, despite the Dodgers putting the tying run at the plate.
The Dodgers have now played 22 consecutive games where their pitching staff has allowed four runs or fewer, extending their franchise record that was previously set when they hit 18 games.
The last MLB team with a single-season streak of 18 consecutive games with four runs or fewer was the 2017 Cleveland Guardians, when they went 25 straight. That also happens to be the longest such streak in the live ball era (since 1920).
Only two other teams other than the Guardians have reached 23 consecutive games since 1920, the 2010 Giants and 1972 Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers streak is now tied with the 1924 Washington Nationals.
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