Steve Webb
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In a challenging game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants triumphed 10-4 at Oracle Park. Dodgers’ pitcher James Paxton endured a tough outing, conceding nine earned runs and 12 hits in four innings. Despite his previous success, Paxton struggled as the Giants aggressively hit his fastballs, amassing ten hits with exit velocities over 100 mph.
In contrast, Giants’ rookie reliever Spencer Bivens excelled in his first MLB start, pitching five strong innings and allowing just one run on four hits. Bivens, who was playing independent-league baseball in 2022, notably struck out Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani twice.
The Giants quickly gained momentum, scoring runs in each of the first four innings. By the fourth inning, they had a commanding 9-0 lead, prompting the Dodgers to warm up their bullpen. Paxton, despite his willingness to continue, was relieved after four innings by manager Dave Roberts to avoid potential harm.
Relievers Michael Petersen, Yohan Ramirez, and Evan Phillips managed to hold the Giants at bay for the remaining innings. However, the damage was already done, and the Dodgers’ offense couldn’t compensate, despite a few bright spots. Chris Taylor hit a solo homer and an RBI double, while Austin Barnes contributed a two-run double in the ninth.
Taylor’s recent improvement at the plate has been a positive for the Dodgers, especially as they struggle with third base following Max Muncy‘s injury. Manager Dave Roberts plans to give Taylor more opportunities in the coming games, noting his better at-bats and reduced swing-and-miss rate.
Overall, the game highlighted the Giants’ effective hitting and Bivens’ impressive debut, overshadowing Paxton’s tough day and the Dodgers’ pitching challenges. The Dodgers finish the month of July at 16-10 for the month, almost identical to the 17-10 mark they posted in May. During the month, they extended their lead over the second place Padres from 5.5 games on June 1 to 7.5 games after play on June 30. July will be an interesting month, as the competition gets even more intense; they have both the Brewers and the Phillies on their schedule before the All-Star game, so here’s hoping the Boys in Blue can finish strong these next two weeks. Reinforcements are on the way, boys, take heart!
