The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers play a rubber game Wednesday night on ESPN. They’re losing parts. But they’re not dead yet. He’s made at least 31 starts and exceeded the 200-inning mark in each season since then.
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But they still managed to do something they couldn’t do Monday night – make a lead stand up.
Dodgers should win this series. He last faced them on August 24 in his first start as a member of the Dodgers, allowing five hits in six scoreless innings and picking up the victory in the Dodgers’ 1-0 win. San Francisco slipped into a tie for the second NL wild card with the St. Louis Cardinals (79-71).
The Giants led the division by 6 1/2 games at the All-Star break but lost the lead to the Dodgers on August 21. His legend is built on going the extra mile when the Giants need him most, and often times there’s no discussion to be had. In five innings, Maeda struck out six and allowed one run on three hits, getting the decision in Los Angeles’ 3-2 victory.
The two teams meet five more times, including Tuesday night.
Crawford was injured when he slid into third base.
Hill’s debut with the Dodgers was delayed nearly a month because of blister issues. It was his shortest stint in his five starts with the Dodgers. He scattered eight hits and two walks while striking out six over 5 1/3 innings.
Originally ruled in play by third-base umpire Jim Reynolds, Nunez legged out a triple.
As expected, the series opener featuring two of the best pitchers in baseball was nothing short of a nail biter.
Joe Blanton (6-2) won in relief after the latest bullpen flop by the struggling Giants followed a tense pitchers’ duel between Bumgarner and fellow ace Clayton Kershaw.
Maybe Bochy didn’t want Bumgarner up at bat immediately after the incident, fearing a Dodgers’ retaliatory pitch. Tuesday was Hill’s second consecutive start on regular rest (four days off), something he hadn’t done since early July when a blister on his middle finger ripped open. Crawford, the team’s leading RBI man with 80, was thrown out trying to go from first to third on a two-out single by Belt and had to leave the game with a dislocated left pinky.
That beleaguered bullpen is a Giant problem for San Francisco.
Los Angeles stranded 10 runners in the game and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Bochy stuck with Okert and another left-hander, Will Smith, to keep the shutout intact into the ninth.
Bumgarner gave the Dodgers only one hit.
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Hill is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six career starts against the Giants, limiting them to a.219 batting average.
