Dodgers' late night nailbiter extended impressive streak (thanks to new bullpen hero)

The Dodgers came off of a series loss to one divisional rival on the road and headed straight into a series with another, flying up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco for three games against the Giants.

The Giants have been playing very badly — they lost a series to the Red Sox and were swept by the Phillies in a four-game series before finally eking out series wins against low-hanging fruit: the Rockies and Reds. Despite the dropped series against the Padres, the Dodgers have been playing very well — they had a seven-game, two-series streak going before they headed out onto the road.

Still, Monday night's Dodgers-Giants matchup gave us a show, and the Dodgers' eventual victory came thanks to some late-inning heroics from Will Smith, whose two-run double in the top of the 10th proved to be insurmountable for San Francisco, and JP Feyereisen, who racked up his first save as a Dodger (and first since 2022), closing out the game with a walk but no hits.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who started the game, gave up four runs in five innings, but the bullpen held the fort down through the rest. Per Sarah Langs, the game extended a franchise record: the Dodgers have allowed only four or less runs in 20 straight games.

JP Feyereisen's first save as a Dodger lifted LA to an extra-innings victory against the Giants

Dodgers across the lineup came through to seal the win: a Mookie Betts homer, a Shohei Ohtani RBI single, a Gavin Lux RBI double, a Kiké Hernández homer, and then the two-run double by Smith to win it for the Dodgers, 6-4. It was great to see a couple of guys toward the bottom of the order come through with some power, but it was just as nice to see the bullpen successfully preserve a close game for its hitters.

This is Feyereisen's third stint in the majors already this season. He traveled with the team to Korea, was lit up during Game 2 of the Seoul Series, and was optioned the next day. The Dodgers called him up again on April 13, he stayed for two days, was sent back down after a 1/3 inning when he gave up three runs, then found himself recalled on May 1 in light of multiple injuries in the bullpen.

Feyereisen missed out on all of 2023 because of a labrum and rotator cuff surgery that he underwent when he was with the Rays, but the 24 1/3 scoreless innings he pitched in Tampa gave the Dodgers high hopes for him. The beginning of his 2024 season hasn't really worked out how anyone hoped, but his first save with LA is a good restart.