Steve Webb
Game 83, 6/28/2024: Dodgers 3, Giants 5
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In a closely contested game at Oracle Park, the Dodgers faced off against the rival San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers got another solid start from Landon Knack, but the bullpen couldn’t hold an early lead as a pair of two-run homers off two of the Dodgers’ best relievers led the Giants’ 5-3 walkoff win.
Early Innings: Pitching Duel
The game started with Logan Webb of the Giants and Landon Knack of the Dodgers on the mound. Both pitchers were dominant early on. Webb struck out Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith to begin the game, followed by Freddie Freeman grounding out to end the top of the first inning. Knack responded in kind, inducing a groundout from Jorge Soler, striking out LaMonte Wade Jr., and getting Heliot Ramos to line out sharply to Jason Heyward.
The pitchers continued to dominate through the first four frames of the games. Webb was getting his customary groundball outs, and though he was giving up more hard contact, Knack kept the Giants off the scoreboard as well.
Dodgers Strike First
The fifth inning brought the first breakthrough for the Dodgers. Miguel Rojas singled, followed by Gavin Lux’s sharp double that drove in Rojas, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Lux’s aggressive baserunning advanced him to third on a wild pitch. The Giants walked Shohei Ohtani intentionally, but the struggling Will Smith’s single brought Lux home, extending their lead to 2-0. Despite this momentum, the inning ended abruptly with Freddie Freeman grounding into a double play.
Giants Respond
The Giants quickly answered in the bottom of the fifth. Luis Matos hit a solo home run, narrowing the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1. However, Knack was unable to navigate out of the inning. He left with two outs in the fifth, and needed Anthony Banda to strand runners at the corners to preserve the lead. Still, it was another solid outing for Knack, who has proved over and over that he is ready for a spot in a big league rotation. His line for the night: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.
The Dodgers’ lead was only temporary, it turned out, for the sixth inning proved pivotal. Heliot Ramos reached base on an error from Freddie Freeman on a groundball to his right, and Matt Chapman’s two-run homer off reliever Daniel Hudson flipped the game, putting the Giants ahead 3-2.
Dodgers’ Struggles to Reclaim Lead
The Dodgers had opportunities in the later innings to retake the lead but struggled to convert. In the seventh inning, Miguel Rojas walked, but Gavin Lux’s groundout into a double play killed the rally. Shohei Ohtani’s infield single in the eighth inning offered a glimmer of hope, but he was forced out on Freddie Freeman’s grounder. The Dodgers couldn’t muster any significant offense in the late innings, with Will Smith and Jason Heyward striking out at crucial moments.
Dramatic Ninth Inning
The top of the ninth brought hope for the Dodgers. Andy Pages hit a triple, setting the stage for Jason Heyward’s sacrifice fly that tied the game at 3-3.
However, the momentum was short-lived. In the bottom of the ninth, Blake Treinen walked leadoff hitter Luis Matos, who was replaced by pinch-runner Tyler Fitzgerald. Brett Wisely then hit a two-run homer, sealing the game for the Giants at 5-3. In a great season for both pitchers, it was a night of duds from both Hudson and Treinen. And, sadly, Friday saw the end of two Dodger streaks. Shohei’s consecutive games with an RBI streak ends at ten, and Miggy Ro’s ridiculous streak of getting a hit in a Dodger winner comes to an end as well. Ah, they were both fun while they lasted I guess.
So, the Dodgers look to rebound on Saturday, sending ace Tyler Glasnow to the mound to start a new winning streak. It will be one of the Fox TV games, so the start time will be adjusted to the always tricky 4:15 PM. The setting sun and Tyler Glasnow on the mound? Yikes!
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