AT & T PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Following two stinging defeats at the hands of the Giants Monday and Tuesday, the Dodgers combined strong hitting, stronger pitching, and baseball luck to bang on the Giants this afternoon, 6-1, and avoid a sweep in the three-game series.
Clayton Kershaw improved his record to 7-2, as he allowed only three hits, and struck out five, never looking worried in the process. Kershaw threw 89 pitches, 63 for strikes. Former Giant Sergio Romo gave up the Giant’s only home run in the bottom of the ninth, by Eduardo Nunez.
The Dodgers scored early in the first inning when Yasmani Grandal followed a double by Justin Turner with a double of his own, scoring Turner and Corey Seager. The Dodgers scored two more in the sixth when Puig singled with bases loaded to score Turner and Bellinger. Seager also scored on a double by Bellinger in the seventh.
Here’s how we blogged it:
AT & T PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Hey Bobbleheads! The Dodgers are facing the Giants in the third game of a three-game series, and The Orange and Black have already won the first two games. Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw will face Johnny Cueto of the Giants. The Giants are looking for their sixth victory in a row, at the Dodgers’ expense.
FIRST INNING
Top
Corey Seager singles.
Justin Turner is aboard, so to speak.
Cody Bellinger goes down swinging.
Yasmani Grandal brings in Turner with a single to the right corner.
Chris Taylor (no relation) strikes out.
Dodgers 1, Giants 0
Bottom
Eduardo Nunez goes down in 1,2,3 swings.
Justin Ruggiano gets to 2-1, 2-2, …and says farewell.
Christian Arroyo flies out to short center and the Giants are done in the first.
Dodgers 1, Giants 0
SECOND INNING
Top
Pederson is way out.
Yasiel Puig gets booed and gets to 2-2, and holds there a bit…and then hits one right at Arroyo.
Clayton Kershaw strikes out.
Dodgers 1, Giants 0
Bottom
Buster Posey flies out.
Michael Morse is sitting on a full count, so to speak-ish, then flies out to center.
Mac Williamson, he of the unusual name, looks at a strike passing by, and then another one, and then another one. That’s three.
Dodgers 1, Giants 0
THIRD INNING
Top
Chase Utley beats out a single to first.
Seager is aboard first with an economy ticket.
Turner gets shot down at first, moving the runners along, to second and third.
Bellinger hits a bullet at Morse, who basically catches it in his teeth for the out.
Utley comes home on a wild, really wild pitch.
(Someone apparently says something about someone’s mother, and both teams meet at the mound. The tension is abated, and the crowd shouts “Beat LA,” as LA goes ahead by two.)
Joe Panik stays cool, but is out nonetheless.
Gorkys Hernandez gets to 0-2 right away, then 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, …then, with his bat flying towards third, gets thrown out at first. Not in a good way.
Cueto holds up a bat, the ball hits it, it’s foul. he gets thrown out at first.
Dodgers 3, Giants 0.
FOURTH INNING
TOP
Taylor, batting .333, stands at 1-2, 2-2, then walks to the dugout, not that happy.
Pederson reads some chin music, gets to 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, then gets shot down at first.
Puig sees 0-2, 1-2, then flies out to deep center.
Dodgers 3, Giants 0.
Bottom
Nunez chills at 1-2, then dashes to first, only to find the ball already there.
Ruggiano singles to short center, for the Giants’ first hit.
Arroyo is at 1-2, then swings in to a double play.
Dodgers 3, Giants 0.
FIFTH INNING
Top
Kershaw flies out to left.
Utley flies out to center.
Seager grounds out to first for a quiet inning, except for all the Giants fans here.
Dodgers 2, Giants 0.
Bottom
Posey is at 2 and 2, with a bat flying out of his hands. He strikes out.
Morse is comfortable at 1-2, and then not so much, as he points himself toward the dugout.
Williamson, whose first name is Mac, and last name is Williamson, gets to 1 and 1, as such. Then it’s 1-2, and then 1-3, if there is such a thing.
Dodgers 3, Giants 0.
Top
Turner singles to right.
Bellinger is at 2-1, 3-1, then doubles to the deep right corner, sending Turner to third.
Grandal gets tagged out at first, after a bobble by Panik.
Taylor walks, loading the bases.
Pederson is at 2-1, and now the count is full. Cueto strikes him out.
Puig comes to bat. he is at 1-1 right away. Then, 1 and 2, and Puig singles, scoring Turner and Bellinger.
Kershaw strikes out, ending the Giants’ pain. Giants fans eye the exits. Cueto is gone after 5 runs and eight hits.
Dodgers 5, Giants 0.
Bottom
Panik flies out to center.
Hundley singles to left, over a leaping Turner.
Nunez grounds out, Nunez is doubled up.
Dodgers 5, Giants 0.
SEVENTH INNING
Top
Kike Hernandez strikes out.
Seager is aboard.
Turner grounds out to first.
Bellinger doubles, scoring Seager from second.
Grandal strikes out, ending the inning.
Dodgers 6, Giants 0.
Bottom
Ruggiano flies out to short left.
Arroyo flies out.
Posey is at 0-1 right now. Make that 0-2. 1-2. He singles deep to left.
Morse starts at 1-0, then flies out to end the inning, per se.
Dodgers 6, Giants 0.
EIGHTH INNING
Top
Taylor grounds out to first.
Pederson strikes out.
Puig flies out to deep center.
Dodgers 6, Giants 0.
Bottom
Pedro Baez pitching for the Dodgers.
Williamson is out at first.
Panik sits at 2-2, 3-2, then hits one at Baez, who throws him out at first.
Brandon Crawford ends the inning for the Giants, and not in a good way.
NINTH INNING
Top
Franklin Guiterrez grounds out to first.
Hernandez strikes out loud.
Seager goes down.
Bottom
Sergio Romo, former Giant, takes the mound.
Nick Hundley gets to 1-2, then strikes out.
(A fan yells, “Why, Sergio, Why?”)
Nunez homers to the deep left corner. It’s his first homer of the season.
Ruggiano gets to 1-1, then 1-2, then 2-2,…then strikes out.
Arroyo gets to the now familiar 1-1, 1-2, then grounds out to first.
Dodgers 6, Giants 1.
The Arroyo Seco Journal 