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Dodgers lose in extra innings, can’t sweep Astros

June 26, 2023

Tony Gonsolin of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a two run homerun from Jose Abreu of the Houston Astros, to take a 4-1 Astros lead, during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Jose Abreu of the Houston Astros celebrates his two run homerun with Jeremy Pena, to take a 4-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Tony Gonsolin of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run homerun in the dugout, to tie the game 4-4 with the Houston Astros, during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to umpire Jose Navas’s safe call during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros reacts to his pop fly out during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Chas McCormick of the Houston Astros and Martin Maldonado celebrate a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Martin Maldonado of the Houston Astros and Seth Martinez celebrate the final out and a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Mauricio Dubon of the Houston Astros reacts after he slides safely to score in front of Yency Almonte of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to take a 6-5 lead, during the 11th inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his run from a sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts, to tie the game 5-5 with the Houston Astros during the tenth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Brusdar Graterol of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts on the mound during the tenth inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Dusty Baker Jr. of the Houston Astros celebrates the run of Jeremy Pena, to take a 5-4 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his 2000th hit, a double to score Mookie Betts to trail 4-2 to the Houston Astros, during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts celebrates with Freddie Freeman after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson waves to fans before throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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LOS ANGELES – As the 2017 World Series grows more distant, the Dodgers and Houston Astros are going to get closer.

Thanks to the balanced schedule adopted by MLB beginning this season, the two will play each other every year now — though Dodgers fans will only get a chance every other season to rain boos down on the uniforms now occupied (mostly) by a generation of players that arrived post-scandal.

In this edition of the matchup, the Dodgers came from behind for the second game in a row, this time only to force extra innings where the Astros cashed in their free runners in the 10th and 11th, beating the Dodgers 6-5 Sunday afternoon.

For what it’s worth, the two teams have played 14 times in the years since the tainted World Series with the Dodgers winning eight.

“I think for us, we’re just trying to win a ballgame against a good ballclub,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the matchup with the Astros.

A week ago, the Dodgers didn’t seem very capable of doing that. Their June gloom has cleared in the past week, though. They won four in a row before Sunday’s loss.

“We were just fighting all day,” said Freddie Freeman who reached a personal milestone with his 2,000th career hit Sunday. “Just much better baseball is being played by us the last week. … Everyone’s clicked — pitching staff and as an offense. So, hopefully we can continue that trend in Denver and on the road trip.”

The Dodgers had to battle back Sunday after falling behind 4-1. Mookie Betts led off the game with a home run again — his second in the past three days (only a defensive gem by Astros left fielder Corey Julks Saturday kept it from being three in a row), eighth of the season and 44th of his career.

But the Dodgers had just two more hits in six innings against rookie right-hander Hunter Brown.

Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin, meanwhile, surrendered a pair of two-run home runs on hanging splitters to Jose Abreu and Jeremy Pena. He was pulled after just five innings and 61 pitches and has given up 15 runs in 21 2/3 innings over four starts this month.

“I think my stuff wasn’t very good today,” Gonsolin said. “I hung two splitters and they definitely didn’t miss those.”

Roberts agreed with Gonsolin’s self-assessment and said that was the reason for the early hook.

“It just didn’t seem like today the stuff had a whole lot of teeth,” Roberts said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of strikeouts, swing-and-miss. And it just seemed like they were finding ways to put the ball in play.

“I just felt with the top of the lineup coming up again, giving them a different look gave us the best chance to keep the game in hand, to give us a chance to win a ballgame.”

The Dodgers didn’t seem poised for a breakout when Mookie Betts took a full-count pitch in the back from Astros reliever Rafael Montero who had retired the first two batters in the eighth inning.

But Betts stole second and scored on Freeman’s second double of the game and 2,000th hit of his career. Freeman is the 98th player in baseball history to have 2,000 hits and 300 home runs (a milestone he reached last month).

“I wasn’t really thinking about it because, you know, Im hoping to get more than 2,000 hits in my career so it’s not something I was really thinking about,” Freeman said.

“Hits mean a lot to me. Everyone views success differently in their careers and how they go about it. But hits and average, that is what I care about. If I have a lot of hits and I have a good average, that means I’m getting on base a lot for our team and we’re able to score a lot of runs. That’s how I view it. … I like hits. Hopefully we get a lot more.”

Will Smith followed with a big one of his own. He worked the count full before getting a fastball on the inner half and driving it 416 feet over the wall in center field to tie the game.

It stayed tied into extra innings with the Dodgers’ bullpen seemingly rejuvenated. After Evan Phillips retired the Astros in the ninth, Dodgers relievers had allowed just one run over their previous 26 1/3 innings.

Brusdar Graterol couldn’t hold the line — but the Astros bungled an opportunity for an even bigger inning.

With the free runner on second, Corey Julks dropped a soft liner down the right field line to give the Astros the lead back. Jason Heyward kicked the ball, allowing Julks to go to second. A passed ball on Smith moved him to third and Jake Meyers drew a walk to put runners at the corners.

With the infield in, No. 9 hitter Martin Maldonado bunted the ball back to Graterol who had Julks trapped off third but threw to first for the out. But Julks was slow to break for second and Betts (covering first on the play) threw home to Smith who ran Julks down for the double play.

That baserunning blunder proved costly when the Dodgers cashed in the free runner in the bottom of the 10th to tie the game again. Michael Busch moved him to third with a ground out and Betts drove him in with a sacrifice fly — coming up several feel short of both beginning and ending the game with a home run.

The Astros cashed in the free runner again in the top of the 11th when Alex Bregman singled through the boos and Mauricio Dubon made it home despite a late break from second.

The Dodgers couldn’t match them this time. Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon made an excellent sliding play on Smith’s bid for a ground ball up the middle. Miguel Vargas struck out and David Peralta grounded out to end the game.

“I thought we got some breaks. We made our own breaks,” Roberts said of a turnaround week that included a lucky-hop grounder to win one game in Anaheim and a walk-and-balk fueled comeback Saturday. “If you look back at a week ago, we’re in a much better spot.

“I think we’re staying in ballgames and finding ways to win.”

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