Jansen blown save wastes Urias gem in loss to Giants

LOS ANGELES — Looks like we’re going to have to wait a bit more before climbing into first place. After a brilliant start by Julio Urias, the Dodgers were within three outs of winning Wednesday’s game and moving into a tie for first place with the division-leading Giants. But, Kenley Jansen was supremely ineffective for his second straight outing and after a three-run top of the ninth, the Dodgers dropped a very winnable game by a score of 4-2.

Dodgers/Giants is always going to conjure up all kinds of emotion and Wednesday’s game was no different. After the dramatic walk-off on Tuesday, I suppose it was inevitable that the Dodgers should have a bit of a let down in the next game. However, they were very much in a position to win this thing thanks to Julio Urias.

Urias fantastic in seven innings of work

It may have been Urias’ best start of the season. He went seven strong innings, giving up only three hits along the way while striking out five. It was a deep and efficient outing; it only took the Mexican southpaw 96 pitches to finish those seven innings, and he threw 69 of those pitches for strikes. Julio is always at his best when he fearlessly attacks the zone, and that is what he had going on Wednesday. The lone blemish on his scorecard was a Mike Yastrzemski solo home run in the top of the first inning. Everything else was completely on point, which is why it is such a shame that he won’t get his 13th win of the year. He totally deserved it.

Taylor’s and Pollock’s bats stay hot

Truth be told, the Dodgers could have been a bit more helpful at the plate. They got a solo home run in the first from Chris Taylor to tie up the game in the first inning, and then a run-scoring double from AJ Pollock in the fourth, but that was it for the entire night. In fact, Giants starter Logan Webb was every bit as good as Urias, giving up only three hits over five innings of work. The Giants’ pen was equally effective, pitching shutout ball for the final four innings of the game.

Still, the Dodgers had done enough to win the game, heading into the top of the ninth clinging to a 2-1 lead. Blake Treinen had been lights out in the eighth with the bottom of the Giants order, and might have been able to get a few more outs in the ninth, having only thrown nine pitches to retire the side. However, Dave Roberts decided to go chalk and go with his closer Jansen, who was coming off his first blown save since early May.

Ninth inning goes south in a hurry

One thing about Jansen; if he doesn’t have it, you know pretty quickly. And on Wednesday night, he definitely didn’t have it. He gave up a solid single to pinch hitter Buster Posey to lead off the inning, and then toed the rubber against Wilmer Flores, who was still looking for his first career hit against the Dodgers’ closer. He didn’t have to look far. He mashed a 1-1 cutter from Jansen and sent it deep over the right field fence for a two-run, go-ahead homer. Ugh.

Though Jansen gave up another double and two walks before he was done, it hardly mattered. The Giants were ahead to stay. They got an insurance run on a BS call from the home plate ump on what was clearly a strike, but that didn’t matter much either. When the Dodgers went quietly in the bottom of the ninth against Tuesday night’s goat Tyler Rogers, it was a fitting ending to a very disappointing evening.

Series vs. Giants wraps up on Thursday

So now, the Dodgers are back to two games behind the Giants in the NL West. So, no matter what, we’re going to have to wait a bit more before we can reclaim first place in the division. The series wraps up on Thursday night with probably the best pitching match-up of the series: Walker Buehler vs. Anthony DeSclafani. Hopefully, we can eke out a split, and head into the weekend no worse than when the series began.

But oh! What might have been!