Two months into the season, the Giants have proven they can go head-to-head with any opponent and find success.
Any opponent other than the rival Dodgers.
After being swept by Los Angeles in a three-game series at Oracle Park last weekend, the Giants arrived at Dodger Stadium on Thursday and dropped the first matchup of a four-game set 4-3.
Evan Longoria and Donovan Solano each homered for Gabe Kapler’s club, but the Dodgers feasted on Alex Wood’s mistakes as they launched three homers against the Giants starter including the go-ahead solo shot from Max Muncy in the sixth inning that proved to be the game-winner.
“I just don’t think this is, ‘Hey let’s try harder against the Dodgers,’” Kapler said. “I think we have a good game plan right now and it’s nothing we’re going to turn on and then win these baseball games. It’s a matter of us being at our best because in order for us to beat the best, we’re going to have to play our A-game.”
Wood entered Thursday’s start having allowed only three home runs in 42 innings this season, but a powerful Dodgers lineup doubled that total on a night when the left-hander appeared frustrated with his mechanics following several pitches.
“I felt like they had a good game plan, they were forcing me to stay in the zone and I just didn’t execute a couple of pitches and they put some good swings on it,” Wood said. “You tip your hat.”
Aside from ace Kevin Gausman, Wood has been the Giants’ most consistent starter this season and has often overwhelmed opponents with a quick pace and ability to pitch on the edges of the strike zone. Against his former club, Wood left too many pitches over the middle of the plate and paid for his mistakes.
After giving up a two-run home run to Justin Turner in the third inning and a solo shot to DJ Peters in the fifth, Wood’s mostly costly pitch came in the sixth with Muncy at the plate. Wood worked ahead of Muncy 0-2, but threw a sinker right down the middle and Los Angeles’ top home run hitter sent the offering 420 feet out to the right field bleachers to break a 3-3 tie.
“That’s one of the ones I got too cute,” Wood said. “I thought I could sneak 92 by Max. Probably should have gone somewhere else, maybe come back to it, but he’s a great hitter. He’s one of the better hitters in the game.”
The solo shot from Muncy spoiled another comeback effort from the Giants, who were able to overcome a four-run deficit against Arizona on Wednesday to move into a tie for second place with the Dodgers in the National League West.
After hitting his longest home run as a Giant in Tuesday’s 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks, Longoria put the team on the board Thursday with a solo shot against Dodgers righty Joe Kelly in the the fourth inning.
Longoria’s seventh home run of the season was the Giants’ only hit against the Dodgers until the sixth inning, when Mike Yastrzemski laid down a well-executed drag bunt that found a hole in the Los Angeles defense on the right side of the infield. Left-hander Victor Gonzalez, who had not allowed a home run in 35 career appearances, then gave up a game-tying, two-run home run to Solano on a ball that landed in the second row of the seats in the left field corner.
With a 30-20 record, the Giants hold the third-best record in the National League, but are stuck in third place in their own division as they remain 1.5 games behind a Padres team that lost 6-5 to the Brewers on Thursday.
“We’ve gotten off to a good start,” Kapler said. “We’ve got a ways to go. We’ve done some good work and obviously we need to play better against the Dodgers.”
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May 28, 2021 at 11:41AM
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Dodgers tag Alex Wood for three home runs, SF Giants fall to 0-4 against rivals in 2021 - Vacaville Reporter
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