LOS ANGELES _ In about a month, barring disaster, the Los Angeles Dodgers will give the ball to Walker Buehler to survive another day or close out a three-game playoff series. They will seek the brilliance he has already displayed on the biggest stages in his young big league career, from division title tiebreaker to Game 3 of the World Series. They will look for something like Wednesday.
In his first start since a blister on his right hand forced a visit to the injured list, Buehler was nearly flawless in five scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zac Gallen, a nascent ace himself, was even better, but the Dodgers rallied for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.
Mookie Betts homered in the ninth to tie it at 1-1 and Will Smith singled over a drawn-in outfield to win it in the 10th.
Betts lined the first pitch Gallen threw to center field for a single. Gallen didn't give up another one. He walked two and struck out seven. He pitched into the seventh inning, but was removed when he issued a leadoff walk to Joc Pederson with his 97th pitch.
Stefan Crichton relieved Gallen and got Smith to hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Edwin Rios then lined out to left field to end the inning. But Betts came through for the Dodgers again in the ninth, clubbing a solo home run off Kevin Ginkel with one out to tie the score. It was Betts' 12th homer this season.
Buehler, meanwhile, limited the Diamondbacks to two hits. He had six strikeouts and one walk. He didn't show any signs of blister trouble. His fastball averaged 96.9 mph and touched 98. He generated eight whiffs on 28 swings and 17 called strikes. But the Dodgers played it safe, pulling him from his first start in 12 days after 71 pitches.
After a slow start to the season, Buehler has given up one run on six hits with 17 strikeouts and one walk across 11 innings in his last two outings. His earned-run average has dropped from 5.21 to 3.60 with the two performances.
Caleb Ferguson replaced Buehler in the sixth inning and surrendered the game's first run. Christian Walker, the second batter he faced, lifted a solo home run over the left field wall. It was the second earned run Ferguson has yielded in 16 appearances this season.
The Dodgers didn't have Cody Bellinger available for the second straight game. The reigning NL MVP suffered an injury in his right lat area before Tuesday's game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger felt better taking swings in the cage Wednesday. "The hope" is Bellinger returns Thursday for the series finale.
"He felt he could've played," Roberts said. "But, again, just talking to the trainer, Cody himself, just makes sense to just give him one more day."
They could've used Bellinger Wednesday. They nearly went without a home run for the second consecutive game _ the third time they would've gone without a homer in consecutive games this season.
Those days will surface even for the league's most prolific offense when it's missing Bellinger and Justin Turner. Come next month, they can't afford not to support their budding ace.
