Kapler Earned First Win as Giants Manager
San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers for Kapler
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler center during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
2020.07.25 – Gabe Kapler earned his first win as a San Francisco manager and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Saturday.
After getting outscored 17-2 in the first two games, the Giants took advantage of Dodgers starter Alex Wood’s struggles to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2012. They scored in each of the first four innings to snap a six-game skid against their NL West rivals.
The Giants lined up near the mound and bumped elbows to celebrate. Kapler and his socially distanced coaching staff did so with a bottle of wine in the clubhouse afterward.
Baseball might be strange in 2020, but it can still be enjoyable.
“There’s music blaring like normal, with the distancing as well,” Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb said. “It’s just fun. We all want to win so bad and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Wood had trouble finding the plate, throwing 67 pitches, including 29 balls, in three innings. Dodgers pitchers didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning until the seventh, by new reliever Blake Treinen.
2020.07.25 (San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers) See video
2020.07.25 (San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers) See video
“Those first two innings weren’t me in terms of plan of attack,” Wood said. “I kind of got away from my general plan of how aggressive I am. We threw too much soft stuff early.”
The Giants took a 2-1 lead on Wood’s wild pitch to Austin Slater with two outs in the second that scored Mike Yastrzemski, who had a leadoff double. In the Dodgers’ half of the inning, they had a chance to tie it after loading the bases on a catcher’s interference call, a walk and a hit by pitch, all with two outs. That set up Mookie Betts, who flied out to end the threat.
Betts was hitless in five at-bats with a strikeout.
Cody Baragar (1-0) got the win in his major league debut with two scoreless innings of relief.
Flores led off the third with a shot to the left-field pavilion, covered by advertising tarps in the empty stadium. Technology used by Fox in the nationally televised game made it appear to viewers that the outfield seats were filled with fans.
Will Smith’s pinch-hit homer in the ninth cut the Giants’ lead to 5-4. The ball struck a female cardboard cutout fan in the face in the new home run seats in the left-field pavilion. Representing the tying run, Cody Bellinger flied out to end the game.
The Dodgers pulled to 5-3 on Corey Seager’s two-run single in the eighth and then had the bases loaded with two outs. Kiké Hernández grounded to second and Flores’ throw was wide, forcing Darin Ruf to come off the bag to tag Hernández and end the inning.
Back after spending the last three years in South Korea, Ruf’s two-out RBI single after a leadoff walk to Slater scored the Giants’ first run.
The Giants extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth on Donovan Solano’s two-run double off Dennis Santana with two outs.
The Dodgers committed two baserunning blunders in the fifth when they had just three batters.
“A little too much aggressiveness and a couple of them were just mental mistakes,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Justin Turner’s RBI double tied it 1-all in the first.
Webb allowed one run and six hits in four innings. He struck out two and walked one.
“I thought it started with a high-quality outing by Webby,” Kapler said. “His changeup was awesome. Executed it low in the zone. Had some nice downward movement and did a nice job of pounding the strike zone. It allowed him to pitch into the fifth inning, build up his volume and get ready for his next outing.”
Wood (0-1) gave up three runs and three hits. He struck out four and walked three.
POST-PANDA
Chris Taylor handled DH duties for the Dodgers a day after nearly getting squashed by Pablo Sandoval in a violent collision at first base. Sandoval outweighs Taylor by a considerable margin. Sandoval entered in the ninth to play first.
NAME YOUR STARTER
Other than opening day, the Giants haven’t announced their starters for the four-game series until the last minute.
“It’s a little bit of gamesmanship we’ll call it,” Roberts said, “but to each their own.”
Informed of Roberts’ comment, Kapler said, “I don’t really have strong feelings about that. Certainly we want to read the comments first before having any sort of reaction to it.”
SCULLY APPEARANCE
Vin Scully appeared via video to give the pregame call of, “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” The retired Hall of Fame broadcaster wore a jacket and tie and appeared to be standing in his backyard.
UP NEXT
The Giants had yet to announce their starter for Sunday. Dodgers LHP Julio Urías takes the mound for the series finale. He was 4-3 with a career-best 2.49 ERA and four saves last year.
Related: See below 2020.07.26 (San Francisco Giants vs. LA Dodgers)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Giants Force a Split from Dodgers at Season Opening
San Francisco Giants’ Mauricio Dubon hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
2020.07.26 – The San Francisco Giants forced a split of the four-game opening series when Mauricio Dubon singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Sunday.
Donovan Solano led off the sixth with an infield single. He went to second on pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval’s single and scored on Dubon’s single to left field that snapped an 0-for-10 skid, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead.
San Francisco added a run in the seventh on Solano’s single that scored Darin Ruf, who walked and stole second. Dubon had a hand in two of the team’s three runs.
“Going into that game, a pretty, pretty low probability,” Ruf said of stealing a base. “It was a good situation to (steal) because (Pedro) Baez was kind of slow to the plate, first pitch, nothing to lose with Donny up and try to get in scoring position and make something happen. He came up really clutch and drove me in.”
Ruf moved from first base to left field in the sixth and caught Corey Seager’s fly while running into the Dodgers’ bullpen gate and forcing it open. In the third, Ruf’s RBI single made it 1-0.
2020.07.26 (San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers) See video
2020.07.26 (San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers) See video
“The first few games were unquestionably sloppy and this game was equally clean,” Kapler said. “That’s a good sign. It’s a sign of a team that can make adjustments.”
The Dodgers tied the game 1-all in the third on Bellinger’s first RBI of the season, a two-out single on the first pitch from Drew Smyly.
Wandy Peralta (1-0) got the win with one scoreless inning of relief.
Brusdar Graterol (0-1) took the loss, allowing two hits and one run in one-third of an inning.
The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the eighth, including the potential tying and go-ahead runs, after Kiké Hernández grounded out. Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger had back-to-back singles, the team’s first consecutive hits in the game.
In the ninth, Los Angeles had the potential tying run at the plate when Trevor Gott struck out Max Muncy to earn saves in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
Los Angeles managed five runs over the final two games of the series.
“You’ve just got to give credit to those guys. They matched up really well,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They did a good job finding ways to scratch out runs.”
Giants starter Drew Smyly gave up one run and four hits in 3 1/3 innings of his first start after pitching in relief on Thursday. He struck out two and walked one.
Dodgers Julio Urías permitted one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Kenley Jansen retired the side in the ninth in his season debut for the Dodgers.
KERSHAW UPDATE
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw threw 15 pitches off a mound and it went well, Roberts said. The left-hander will do the same thing Tuesday in Houston. Roberts expects Kershaw, on the injured list with a bad back, to make his season debut when the team is in Arizona from July 30 to Aug. 2.
COY KAPLER
Kapler didn’t reveal his starter for either the second or third game of the series until hours beforehand. It wasn’t until the series finale on Sunday that starter Smyly’s name was released well before game time. Kapler turned conventional after the game, saying Jeff Samardzija will start Tuesday’s home opener and Johnny Cueto will take the mound Wednesday. Samardzija did not appear against the Dodgers despite being the projected No. 2 starter. The 35-year-old right-hander was 11-12 with a 3.52 ERA last year.
GOOD NEWS
X-Giants and now Dodgers minor leaguer Connor Joe is cancer free after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in March, agent John Boggs tweeted Sunday. The 27-year-old was a non-roster invitee to spring training in Arizona when he found out. Joe had 15 plate appearances for the Giants last year. With the Dodgers’ Triple-A team, he hit .300 with a .929 OPS, 15 home runs and 68 RBIs.
UP NEXT
The Giants host San Diego in their home opener Tuesday. The Dodgers travel to Houston to play the Astros on Tuesday in a highly anticipated rematch of the 2017 World Series, except without fans. RHP Walker Buehler will start for the Dodgers, who have not forgotten the illegal sign stealing committed by the Astros three years ago.
Related: See 2020.07.28 (San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
49ERS FIT – FREE 4-DAY PASS
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