Steve Webb
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Max Muncy might as well just pitch a tent in the Oracle Park parking lot. Cuz the guy owns this f’n place. For the second time in three nights, the Dodgers’ slugger smashed two no-doubt homers against the rival Giants as the team came roaring from behind to beat the Giants 10-5 and to end the road trip on a good note.
For a good chunk of the game things didn’t look so hot for the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw gave up a couple of doink singles and a solid Darren Ruf double for two runs in the bottom of the first, and the Giants tacked on an unearned run in the bottom of the 2nd to put the Dodgers in a 0-3 hole before the fans had a chance to even get comfortable in their seats.
However, slowly and methodically, the Dodgers began to chip away at the lead. J.D. Martinez hit a triple and was driven home by James Outman in the 4th to get the Dodgers on the board. Later in that same frame, Mookie Betts smacked a run-scoring double to left to bring the Dodgers to within one. Then, the Dodgers caught up once and for all in the 5th when Max Muncy drilled a Scott Alexander sinker over the center field fence.
After that it was all Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw settled in and started mowing through the Giants’ batting order, retiring eleven in a row to end his outing. Meanwhile, in the top of the 6th, the Dodgers put up a crooked number to take the lead. Taylor Rogers walked four guys to open the inning, including an epic 15-pitch at-bat with Freddie Freeman to score the tie-breaking run. After a Will Smith sac fly made it 5-3, Max Muncy was back at the dish, eager for more.
Muncy obliterated a pitch from new reliever John Brebbia to right field, bouncing it off the concourse and damn near creating another “Go get it out of the ocean” moment. The three-run blast was Muncy’s fourth homer of the series and gave him 11 RBI for the set. So yeah, he kind of likes hitting at Oracle Park.
Later in the game, when the outcome was no longer in doubt, Trayce Thompson created some chills of his own by sending a towering two-run shot into left center and giving the Dodgers their 10th run of the night. It was the third time in this young season that the Dodgers have scored double digit runs in a game, and each game came after a poor offensive showing the night before.
The win ends the road trip with the Dodgers going 3-4 in the seven-game trip. Not a fantastic trip by any measure, but hopefully there’s some momentum to build off of here in this one.
Short Hops
- Kershaw’s final line on the night: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- It was the 199th win of Clayton’s HOF career.
- JD Martinez has really come alive as well. Hit a double and a triple in this one.
- Evan Phillips got back on the horse in a big way in this game. Three strikeouts in a scoreless 8th inning.
- After an off day on Thursday, the Dodgers will start a series against Cody Bellinger and the new-look Cubbies on Friday. Noah Syndergaard will be looking to put that start in Arizona in the rearview. He goes up against lefty Justin Steele in the series opener. 7:10 first pitch.
