Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — There is a stat in baseball called FIP — Fielding Independent Pitching. The idea is that it measures only the things that a pitcher has a direct control of: walks, HBP, and, of course, home runs. Well, Monday was FIP night at the ol’ ballyard. The Dodgers defenders didn’t have much to say about the outcome of this one. The only thing they could do was to turn and watch the balls fly over their heads and into the stands. Five times the Giants went yard in this game, four in the course of two innings off starter Andrew Heaney. The Dodgers had some chances to get back into it, but squandered some nice scoring opportunities, and ended up on the wrong end of a 7-4 defeat.
Freddie powers Dodgers to early lead
After Dodger starter Andrew Heaney pitched a scoreless first, the Dodgers got on the board quickly in the bottom of the inning. Mookie Betts led off by reaching on an error by Evan Longoria. Longoria’s throw sailed wide of first and bounded into foul territory, allowing Betts to scamper to second. After a nubber to Brandon Webb off Trea Turner‘s bat moved Mookie to third, Freddie Freeman came to the plate, looking to erase the memory of an 0-for-5 from Sunday.
He did that, and a whole lot more. On a 1-1 pitch from Webb, Freddie drilled a slider down the right field line. It easily cleared the fence and landed in homerland and just like that, the Dodgers were up 2-0.
Long Balls haunt Heaney again
One thing we know about Andrew Heaney in 2022. He strikes out a lot of guys, and he’s vulnerable to the home run ball. And once again, Heaney checked both boxes in this start. He made it through the first couple of innings unscathed, but things went south in a hurry after that. In the third, new Giant Lewis Brinson hit a two-run shot to tie the score. Then JD Davis hit a solo shot to give the Giants the lead.
In the fourth, it was a mirror image of the third. This time it was infielder Thairo Estrada with the solo shot and first baseman David Villar who contributed the two-run job. And in a rough night for Heaney, it was 6-2 Giants. He managed to pitch an inning and change beyond the 4th, but there was plenty of damage done in those two disastrous innings. Heaney’s final line for the night: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
Dodgers get to Webb, but miss opportunities
Meanwhile, it wasn’t like Logan Webb was mowing the Dodgers down. They were getting hits off the Giants’ ace, but they didn’t add up to as much as they could have. In the fourth, they got a couple of singles and a one-out double from Joey Gallo to score a run, but the rally sputtered after that.
Then in the next inning, Austin Barnes led off with a single but was cut down at the plate on a questionable send from third base coach Dino Ebel. Instead of runners at second and third with nobody out and Turner and Freeman coming to the plate, there was an out and only a runner at second. It amounted to nothing as Webb retired the next two. Ugh.
Barnes gets one back, but Brinson strikes again
One of the best things about this second half surge of the Dodgers has been the resurgence of backup catcher Austin Barnes. And on Monday, he just kept right on rolling. In the bottom of the 7th, Barnesy got the Dodgers a little closer with a two-out solo home run off reliever Yunior Marte. Since the All-Star Break, Barnes is hitting .310 with an OPS of .883. A huge change from his rough first half. Nice to have that in your pocket going into the postseason.
Unfortunately for the home team, reliever Justin Bruihl coughed the run right back up in the top of the ninth with Lewis Brinson hit his second home run of the night. Brinson, once a top-rated prospect, has been a washout so far in his career. But who knows, maybe the Giants got themselves a usable piece.
Dodgers go quietly in late innings
After the Barnes homer, there wasn’t a whole lot going on for the Dodgers in the late innings. They went 1-2-3 in the 8th, and then in the 9th, Miguel Vargas got a hit, but that was it off closer Camilo Duval, but that was it. In the end, you just can’t give up five homers and expect to win a ballgame.
TA on the bump for Game 2
With the Labor Day Holiday over, the Dodgers and Giants hook up again on Tuesday night. No starter announced for San Francisco, but it will be Tyler Anderson taking the ball for the home team. Anderson is coming off a solid start in the Jacob deGrom game in New York. He didn’t get the win in that one, but pitched well, giving up only two runs in 7.0 innings. Game time on Tuesday will be the usual 7:10 pm.
Cans of Corn…
- Heaney’s given up 10 homers in his last 4 starts. Not great, Bob.
- Reliever Jake Reed, who got his first career save in New York, was DFA’d by the Dodgers over the weekend. He is now a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Good luck and Godspeed, Jake.
- Dino Ebel made one of the single most bone-headed sends in the bottom of the fifth. You don’t make the first out at home. That is Baseball 101.
- Blake Treinen got into the game. Pitched a scoreless inning, but didn’t have the putaway pitch in this one.
- Justin Briuhl, just recalled, got into the game as well. A couple of hits, but no runs surrendered.
- Former Dodger Scott Alexander is now a Giant. Who knew?
- After moving up in the batting order, Trayce Thompson struck out four times. Eek.
