The Sports Report: Another Tony Gonsolin gem as Dodgers beat Angels

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Jack Harris: The first time Tony Gonsolin walked off the mound mid-inning Tuesday night, it was by accident, the Dodgers starter heading for the dugout prematurely when he mistakenly thought the second out in the third inning was the third.

In the top of the seventh, Gonsolin vacated the rubber in the middle of an inning again. This time, however, there was no mix up

When manager Dave Roberts came to pull him after 6 ⅓ scoreless inning, he didn’t have a choice.

The Dodgers went on to beat the Angels in the first of a two-game Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium, winning 2-0 behind a bases-loaded walk from Angels starter Noah Syndergaard in the fourth, a solo home run by Mookie Betts in the eighth, and a save from closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth after he escaped a bases-loaded jam.

Gonsolin was the biggest factor, though, continuing his stellar start to the season by improving to 8-0 and lowering his ERA to 1.42 -- both major-league bests.

Yet, it was Roberts’ decision to remove Gonsolin with one out in the seventh, and the pitcher’s ensuing reaction that best illustrated the current state of the Dodgers season.

With Walker Buehler out until at least late August or early September because of a flexor strain in his elbow, the Dodgers are in need of others on their staff to pitch like an ace.

So far, Gonsolin has looked most like the part, using his wicked fastball-splitter-slider arsenal to effect once again against the Angels in a one-hit, two-walk, six-strikeout start.

However, Gonsolin hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019. And for as sharp as he’s looked, the Dodgers are trying to safeguard his health for the long-haul.

The Dodgers will likely have more nights such as Tuesday’s, trying to compensate for Buehler’s absence while at the same time not pushing the rest of their staff too far.