Dodgers second shutout of Giants on Thursday was a group effort

After a Clayton Kershaw did the bulk of the work in the first game, the Dodgers got another shutout in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Giants. But this 2-0 win was a group effort.

Seven relief pitchers combined for a two-hitter, with Brandon Belt collecting both hits for San Francisco. Rookie left-hander Victor Gonzalez retired all seven batters he faced, including three strikeouts, from the second through fourth innings, earning his second win in four major league appearances.

The trouble spot came in the sixth, with back-to-back one-out walks by Scott Alexander putting the tying runs on base. Blake Treinen endured a 10-pitch batter with Wilmer Flores, one that included six fouls, by striking him out. Then he got Evan Longoria to ground out to end the threat.

Kenley Jansen recovered from his first blown save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning, striking out three. He worked around a leadoff bunt single by Belt, who hit the tying home run off Jansen on Tuesday, and a two-out walk to rookie catcher Joey Bart, putting the tying runs on base for the second straight frame.

Joc jams

Kevin Gausman was a tough customer in this afternoon start. The right-hander struck out six and induced 16 swings and misses in his 4⅔ innings. Getting the bat on his fastball and splitter was a chore, but when they connected the Dodgers did damage, at least in hitting the ball hard.

From Baseball Savant

Eight of their 11 batted balls had an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher, per Baseball Savant. Joc Pederson got the results, blasting a 434-foot home run to center field in the second inning, and hit the first of back-to-back doubles in the fifth inning, scoring both runs off Gausman. The Dodgers also hit into five outs with, based on the batted ball data, an expected batting average of .460 or higher.

“We hit a whole lot of balls hard today,” said Will Smith, whose double scored Pederson for the game’s second and final run. “I kept looking up, they were 105, 107[-mph] line drives. They just got caught.”

Pitch magnet

Justin Turner was hit by a Sam Selman pitch in the sixth inning of the second game Thursday, after getting hit by Logan Webb in the third inning of the first game. In addition to extending his franchise record hit by pitch total, now at 78, Turner was the first Dodger to get hit by a pitch in both games of a doubleheader in 85 years.

On September 23, 1935 in Philadelphia, center fielder Buster Mills was hit twice in the first game and once in the second.

Turner on the season is tied for the National League lead with six HBP. In the majors, only Ramón Laureano of the A’s has more, with eight.

Roster move

After the game, the Dodgers optioned Gavin Lux back to the taxi squad. Lux, who was the 29th player on the roster for the second game of the doubleheader, started and was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Thursday particulars

Home run: Joc Pederson (5)

WP — Victor Gonzalez (2-0): 2⅓ IP, 3 strikeouts

LP — Kevin Gausman (1-2): 4⅔ IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts

Sv — Kenley Jansen (8): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers continue their road trip on Friday in Arlington (5:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Dustin May facing off against lefty Mike Minor for the Rangers.