Dodgers 5, Giants 2: BABIP Gods save Tanner Scott, Dodgers head to All-Star break with a series win

Chad Moriyama 07/13/2025 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Hey, remember that seven-game losing streak? Well, hopefully that’s just in the rear-view mirror now.

The Dodgers finished their final series before the All-Star break with great pitching (aside from one guy) and just enough offense (plus BABIP luck), winning today 5-2 to also secure a series win behind a great performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and at least one surprise source of offense despite Tanner Scott continuing to literally blow.

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Things didn’t look great early for the offense against Robbie Ray, as the Giants starter cruised through the first three frames on 24 pitches.

Fortunately, his control issues emerged in the 4th, as he issued back-to-back walks to Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Then with one down Freddie Freeman ripped a double to right to score the game’s first run, but Dino Ebel‘s replacement (left to be with his son at the draft) at third-base coach made a questionable hold of Mookie at third.

Unfortunately, Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages followed with back-to-back strikeouts, which stranded both runners and wasted a rare chance. Still, 1-0.

They added on to that lead in the 5th, amusingly behind Miguel Rojas‘ fifth homer of the year to make it 2-0.

They didn’t get anything off Ray in the 5th or 6th as his outing closed, but it really could’ve been worse.

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Thankfully, he left the game still trailing because Yoshinobu Yamamoto bounced back from his last start in a big way.

While he did allow some baserunners, they were scattered across the innings. He gave up a two-out walk in the 2nd, a one-out single in the 3rd, a two-out walk in the 4th, a one-out single in the 5th, and a two-out double in the 7th, but stranded them all and never felt like he was in real danger despite the tight margin.

The Giants had just two at-bats with RISP: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 91 Pitches.

Dominant.

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The offense didn’t get anything done in the three innings against the Giants pen, which ended up costing them.

Things began ideally as Alex Vesia struck out the side in the 8th.

Unfortunately, Tanner Scott then entered and allowed a one-out single, then gave up a game-tying pinch-hit homer to .618 career OPS guy Luis Matos. No words.

Leads the league in blown saves now.

“Bonus” baseball.

Jack Dreyer started the 10th, getting a pair of outs and issuing just an intentional walk, though one of those outs required a great jump from James Outman in center.

It was Ben Casparius to get the final out of that inning, and he managed to induce a grounder to give the Dodgers another shot.

The 11th didn’t start well for the Dodgers, as Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked and then Mookie Betts flew out weakly to right and Will Smith struck out, but that’s when the BABIP gods blessed them. Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Andy Pages came up with singles on weakly-hit balls to get three runs and put them up 5-2.

Casparius then continued in the bottom, closing things out in routine fashion. How about that for a change?

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Pages flashed the leather in center as well, btw.

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NL WestRecordGB
Dodgers58-39–
Padres52-445.5
Giants52-456.0

Phew … welcome to the All-Star break, folks. Exhale a bit.

We’ll still have content all weekend, starting later today with 2025 MLB Draft coverage.

The All-Star Game itself will be on July 15, and the season will resume on July 18.

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