Giants 2, Dodgers 0: One of ‘those’ games

These Dodger-Giant games are the worst. It’s probably a blessing in disguise they didn’t meet in last year’s NLCS. There would have been some folks (including yours truly) who wouldn’t have survived it.

This was a pretty lackluster game. The Giants scored their first run in the most Giant of ways. After two were out, Joe Panik singled on a blooper and Angel Pagan followed with a single of his own. Buster Posey came up, reached for a pitch off the plate and hooked it just over Jimmy Rollins‘ head. The only thing missing was a 30-foot dribbler up the third base line. Oh, and their other run came on a wild pitch (after an Enrique Hernandez error in left field). Of course it did. I apologize for my bitterness.

Carlos Frias was pretty good in probably his most important start of the season to date: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 11/1 GO/AO. He also, somehow drew a walk at the plate.

The Dodgers’ offense was held in check by Tim Hudson and the Giants’ bullpen. And why not? They always seem to perform their best against the Dodgers, and have so this season.

Quality starts vs. Dodgers in 2015:

Giants: 5 in 7 games (all 4 in SF)
other teams: 11 in 31 games

— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) May 20, 2015

Imagine that.

The Dodgers’ best look at the game came in the seventh inning. They loaded the bases with two outs. Sergio Romo was brought in to face Howie Kendrick. On 1-0, Romo, predictably, threw a slider that wasn’t s strike, but Kendrick swung at it and grounded weakly back to him. Far be it for me to tell a hitter as good as Kendrick how to hit, but damn, that was a poor at-bat. The Giants’ win expectancy jumped from 66.2 percent to 80.5 percent after that at-bat. They threatened in the ninth, but obviously nothing came of it.

The Dodgers have scored two runs in their last 29 innings. We knew the offense would regress, but it wasn’t expected to happen all at once.

With the loss, the Dodgers fall to 24-14 while the Giants improve to 21-18. The Dodgers send Brett Anderson (2-1, 3.50 ERA) to the hill against Tim Lincecum (3-2, 2.43). First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Pacific time. A win in AT&T Park would be just swell.