Dodgers 13, Giants 7: Bats rack up 17 hits in a full lineup effort to knot the series

After yesterday’s backbreaker of a loss, things looked tough today as the Dodgers faced off against Giants ace Logan Webb and Clayton Kershaw gave up some runs early. In a surprising twist, the bats broke out today and took control of the game with a well diversified 17-hit attack to storm back and take the 13-7 victory.

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Facing Logan Webb, the Dodgers got off to a much better start than yesterday. Shohei Ohtani led off by slapping the ball the other way for an infield single, advanced to second on a Mookie Betts check-swing comebacker, and then scored on a Freddie Freeman single down the line in left. Freeman was thrown out going for second, but it was still 1-0 Dodgers.

That … uh, didn’t last long. Clayton Kershaw took the ball and immediately started to struggle in the 1st again, giving up a single and walk to start a rally. Willy Adames followed with another single to score a run, and both runners advanced to scoring position when Andy Pages‘ throw bounced off Ben Rortvedt.

A Matt Chapman single led to another run crossing, and after a strikeout, a walk loaded the bases up. Jerar Encarnacion followed by hitting a double-play ball to Max Muncy, but he bobbled the ball and then threw wide where Miguel Rojas dove to save an out, but a run scored. A Luis Matos single to right followed to make it 4-1 before Kershaw was able to get out of the inning.

Meanwhile, Kershaw continued to struggle. In the 2nd, he gave up a single and a pair of walks with two outs to load the bases before escaping potential disaster. He did rebound with a clean 3rd, but he threw a lot of pitches and generally didn’t have it, so that was the end of the road.

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The Dodgers did appear to rally back against Webb in the 2nd, as singles from Teoscar Hernandez, Michael Conforto, and Pages all singled to load the bases. However, a Rojas pop up and a Rortvedt double play ended that rally in quick succession.

They did it the easy way in the 3rd, as Shohei looked to get the momentum back by smashing his 49th homer to dead center to make it 4-2 Giants.

Mookie followed with a single, and later with two down it was Teoscar doubling to left to cut the deficit to 4-3.

After they got just a single in the 4th, the 5th was another massive rally. Mookie walked, Freddie singled, and Muncy walked to load things up again with nobody out.

That was the end of the road for Webb, but their pen provided no relief, as Teoscar doubled to score a pair and take the lead, and Conforto got a sac fly to plate another run. After an out, Rojas walked and stole second, then Rortvedt came through with a double to plate two more, and after Ohtani was intentionally walked, Mookie singled to plate yet another to make it 9-4 before the rally ended.

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For the pen, it was Edgardo Henriquez in the 4th, and he was absolutely dominant in his first action in a while, striking out the side.

Almost amusingly, they brought in Kirby Yates for the 5th, and he gave up a double to start before getting a pair of outs. Encarnacion then did another double to plate a run, Yates issued a walk, and then gave up yet another double to Patrick Bailey to plate two runs and cut the lead to 9-7.

Absolutely terrible.

Justin Wrobleski then entered and immediately got a strikeout to end that threat, then he got clean frames in the 6th and 7th as well. Seven up and seven down.

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Fortunately for the Dodgers, the offense did get insurance in the 6th. Unfortunately, that rally started with Muncy getting hit in the head.

With one down, Conforto walked and Pages singled to load them up yet again. A wild pitch plated Muncy, and Rojas then doubled to plate two more and pushed the lead to 12-7.

The Dodgers then went scoreless in the 7th and 8th, but tacked a run on in the 9th behind a Shohei single and Freddie double to make it a 13-7 final.

And that was final because Michael Kopech got a scoreless 8th despite a pair of walks and a wild pitch, and Tanner Scott getting a 1-2-3 frame in the 9th. Miracles.

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NL Playoff SeedingRecordGB
Brewers91-58
Phillies89-602.0
Dodgers83-657.5
NL WestRecordGB
Dodgers83-65
Padres81-682.5

The series concludes tomorrow with Tyler Glasnow facing off against Robbie Ray.

About Chad Moriyama

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"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times