Recap: Dodgers get three homers, great relief work in 6-2 win over Brewers

Ninth inning

Dodgers: Will Smith singled to center. Chris Taylor hit a slow roller, they tried to force Smith at second but were too late. Max Muncy grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Miguel Vargas grounded to third.

Brewers: Rowdy Tellez struck out looking. Brian Anderson grounded to second, but Vargas threw the ball away for an error. Anderson at first. Victor Caratini walked. Brice Turang grounded to second, forcing Caratini. Evan Phillips now pitching for the Dodgers. Tyrone Taylor grounded to second.

Final score: Dodgers 6, Brewers 2

Eighth inning

Dodgers: Miguel Vargas walked. James Outman was hit by a pitch. Trayce Thompson flied to deep center, both runners advancing a base. Right-hander Elvis Peguero now pitching for the Brewers. Miguel Rojas walked. Mookie Betts flied to shallow center. Freddie Freeman flied to left.

Brewers: Tyrone Taylor grounded to short. Joey Wiemer struck out swinging. Christian Yelich walked. Brusdar Graterol is now pitching for the Dodgers. Luke Voit singled to left, Yelich to second. Willy Adames struck out swinging.

Score after eight: Dodgers 6, Brewers 2

Seventh inning

Dodgers: Right-hander Gus Varland now pitching for the Brewers. Miguel Rojas grounded to short. Mookie Betts walked. Freddie Freeman struck out swinging. Will Smith singled to center, Betts to third. Chris Taylor walked, loading the bases. Max Muncy grounded to first.

Brewers: Right-hander Shelby Miller now pitching for the Dodgers. Willy Adames grounded to short. Rowdy Tellez homered to center. Brian Anderson grounded to short. Victor Caratini homered to right-center. Brice Turang struck out swinging.

Score after seven: Dodgers 6, Brewers 2

Sixth inning

Dodgers: Chris Taylor flied to center. Max Muncy singled to left. Miguel Vargas homered to left. James Outman grounded to second. Trayce Thompson struck out swinging.

Brewers: Victor González now pitching for the Dodgers. Joey Wiemer flied to left. Christian Yelich grounded to second. Luke Voit, batting for Jesse Winker, struck out looking.

Score after six: Dodgers 6, Brewers 0

Fifth inning

Dodgers: Mookie Betts struck out swinging. Freddie Freeman grounded to short. Will Smith lined to first.

Brewers: Yency Almonte now pitching for the Dodgers. Victor Caratini grounded to second. Brice Turang flied to right. Tyrone Taylor flied to right.

Score after five: Dodgers 4, Brewers 0

Fourth inning

Dodgers: Miguel Vargas flied to right. James Outman struck out swinging. Trayce Thompson fell behind 0-2 and walked. Right-hander Bryce Wilson now pitching for the Brewers. Miguel Rojas grounded to third.

Brewers: Willy Adames grounded to short. Rowdy Tellez grounded to first. Brian Anderson struck out swinging.

Score after four: Dodgers 4, Brewers 0

Third inning

Dodgers: Freddie Freeman lined to left. Will Smith homered to left. Chris Taylor flied to right. Max Muncy struck out looking.

Brewers: They are now saying Noah Syndergaard is out because of a cut on his right index finger. Tyrone Taylor singled to left. Taylor stole second. Joey Wiemer struck out looking. Justin Bruihl replaced Phil Bickford. Christian Yelich hit a liner to left-center. Chris Taylor made a diving catch. Two great plays by Taylor in this game. Jesse Winker struck out looking.

Score after three: Dodgers 4, Brewers 0

Second inning

Dodgers: Miguel Vargas struck out swinging. James Outman doubled to right. Trayce Thompson struck out swinging. Miguel Rojas singled, scoring Outman. Mookie Betts lined to left.

Brewers: Noah Syndergaard is out of the game. According to the SNLA broadcast, it’s because of a blister. Phil Bickford is now pitching for the Dodgers. Brian Anderson grounded to short. Victor Caratini grounded to third. Brice Turang popped to short.

Score after two: Dodgers 3, Brewers 0

First inning

Dodgers: Mookie Betts homered to left-center. Freddie Freeman walked. Freeman stole second. Freeman took third on a bad pickoff throw. Will Smith flied to center, scoring Freeman. Chris Taylor lined to short. Max Muncy flied to left.

Brewers: The start of the bottom half was delayed a minute when the umpires inspected Noah Syndergaard’s pitching hand and made him walk to the dugout. He disappeared up the tunnel and came back out, ready to pitch. A Max Scherzer situation? Don’t know. Christian Yelich singled to left. Jesse Winker walked. Willy Adames flied to deep left. Chris Taylor had to make a leaping grab. Rowdy Tellez grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Score after one: Dodgers 2, Brewers 0

The starting lineups for today’s Dodgers-Brewers game:

Dodgers relief pitcher Justin Bruihl delivers a pitch during Game 3 of the 2021 NLCS at Dodger Stadium.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers recalled left-hander Justin Bruihl from triple-A Oklahoma City before Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers and placed left-hander Caleb Ferguson on the paternity list.

Bruihl, 25, returns for his second stint with the Dodgers after giving up only one earned run in five innings of five appearances for a 1.80 ERA from April 17-26. He went 3-0 and did not allow an earned run in nine innings of seven games for Oklahoma City.

Ferguson, who has been the top left-hander in the team’s bullpen this season, returned to Los Angeles after a weekend series in San Diego to be with his wife, Carissa, who was past her due date with the couple’s first child.

Ferguson is the fifth Dodgers player this season to be placed on the paternity list, joining Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol.

The Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas tags out the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner on a steal attempt on April 16.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

MILWAUKEE — When Dave Roberts was asked in mid-April to assess the overall defensive play of rookie second baseman Miguel Vargas, the Dodgers manager said it was “OK.� Asked again before Monday night’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers how he would rate Vargas defensively, Roberts said, “Um … I don’t know, I gotta think about it.�

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but give Roberts points for transparency. Vargas has been warming at the plate of late but is still struggling defensively at his new position.

Though he has committed only two errors entering Tuesday night’s game against the Brewers and has looked good on double-play pivots, Vargas ranks 18th of 19 qualifying second baseman with minus-5 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs, which penalizes Vargas heavily for his limited range.

“He’s catching what he gets to, but I think it’s a body positioning thing that we’re attacking, in the sense of not trying to start so low,� Roberts said of the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Vargas, who has longer levers than most big-league second basemen.

“We want him to start a little bit higher to allow for his body to work laterally better. It’s kind of a collective effort, and I’ve already seen signs of improvement.�

Vargas, 23, made only 27 starts at second base in five minor league seasons and was not considered an elite defender at third base. The Dodgers knew there would be some growing pains, but Roberts doesn’t think Vargas’ defense has been costly.

“Are there plays that Miguel could have made that saved pitches for a pitcher? Absolutely,� Roberts said. “But to say that one player in any given situation has cost us, I don’t think so.�

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MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers were wise to fly Tony Gonsolin to Milwaukee on Sunday, ahead of the team, because the right-hander looked well rested and sharp against the Brewers at American Family Field on Monday night.

The same could not be said for the rest of the Dodgers, who were delayed leaving Petco Park on Sunday night because of a minor team bus accident, flew four hours from San Diego to Milwaukee and arrived at their hotel at about 3:45 a.m. local time after winning two of three games in an intense series against the division-rival Padres.

Manager Dave Roberts dismissed talk of a “hangover effect,� but the Dodgers looked soggy in a 9-3 loss in which the offense mustered six hits and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, the defense committed a key error leading to three unearned runs, and two lower-leverage relievers were torched for six runs.

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Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season. All times and broadcast/streaming options are subject to change.