LOS ANGELES _ The recently acquired duo of Manny Machado and Brian Dozier led the offense as the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a sweep with Sunday's 3-2 victory over Houston. Machado recorded three hits and scored two runs, while Dozier delivered a go-ahead hit in the first inning.
Walker Buehler struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings. He held the Astros to two runs, with Dylan Floro defusing a sixth-inning jam to protect the lead. Floro collected five crucial outs.
The afternoon did not start well. The first batter of the game was Houston's George Springer, the MVP of the World Series and the scourge of Dodgers fans. Springer treated Buehler like he treated Yu Darvish in Game 7. Buehler tried a first-pitch fastball. Springer clobbered a 452-foot homer.
The tide turned on Springer in the bottom of the inning. Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole gave up a leadoff walk to Joc Pederson and a single to Machado. With two outs, Dozier cracked a curveball into left-center field.
The ball behaved like a sinking line drive. Springer ranged to his right and dove. His glove found the baseball, but he could not secure it. The ball rattled onto the grass as Dozier chugged into second base for a two-run double.
Buehler was fresh off his best start since May. A microfracture in his ribcage halted an excellent rookie campaign, and the Dodgers did him few favors during a disjointed rehabilitation that veered between minor-league outings and a stint in the big-league bullpen. Buehler returned to form last week against Milwaukee, striking out seven during seven innings of one-run baseball.
Buehler looked the part again Sunday. He opened the third inning by pumping a 97-mph fastball past former Vanderbilt teammate Tony Kemp. After Cole struck out, Springer took a walk. Springer tried to steal second, but Yasmani Grandal threw him out. Springer mangled his left thumb on the slide and left the game.
The Dodgers padded their lead in the third. Machado led off with a single. Cody Bellinger punished Cole for a hanging curve with an RBI double.
Buehler defused a would-be Astros rally in the fourth, keeping his opponents off the board despite hitting Alex Bregman with a fastball and giving up a single to Marwin Gonzalez. He was less fortunate in the fifth. Kemp pounced on a slider for Houston's second solo homer.
Buehler could not finish the sixth. Bregman greeted him with a double. Gonzalez walked. As Floro warmed up in the bullpen, Buehler struck out Tyler White and Floro cleaned up the mess. He jammed J.D. Davis with a 93-mph sinker, and Davis grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
