Giants win on Dodgers throwing error in extras
SAN FRANCISCO — Trae Turner’s infield error with two out in the 11th inning allowed the winning run to score as the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 Friday night at Oracle Park.
In the 11th, with Mike Yastrzemski opening at second, Darin Ruf struck out against Evan Phillips, Brandon Belt was intentionally walked and then Kris Bryant walked to load the bases. Dickerson grounded to short, with Yastrzemski forced out at home for the second out.
Buster Posey’s ground ball went to Turner on the second base side, and his throw to first pulled Will Smith off the bag, and the Giants had an excruciating win after the play was reviewed.
The win in the first game of a three-game series before a crowd of 39,388 gives the Giants (86-49) a one-game lead over the Dodgers (85-50) in the National League West. The series will mark the end of regular-season meetings between the longtime rivals.
The Giants held the Dodgers scoreless in the top of the 11th courtesy of Jarlin Garcia, with Brandon Crawford cutting down Justin Turner at the plate with the infield in and one out and Garcia striking out pitcher Evan Phillips to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, Buster Posey started at second base as the free runner, and was quickly singled home by Crawford against Andrew Vazquez to tie the score 2-2. Crawford advanced to third on Thairo Estrada’s ground ball to second. Crawford had advanced to second on an attempt to get Posey at the plate.
Vazquez then struck out Mike Yastrzemski before Evan Phillips came on to face Curt Casali. Casali worked the count to 3-2 before striking out and sending the game to the 11th inning.
The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 10th on Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly against Dominic Leone, which brought home pinch runner Walker Buehler.
The Giants took a 1-0 lead into the ninth and couldn’t hold it, then failed to score in the bottom of the 10th against Andrew Vasquez — the 10th Dodgers pitcher in a bullpen game.
The run in the 10th inning was the first time the Dodgers led in the game.
Albert Pujols, who started as the free runner on second base, lumbered safely to third on A.J. Pollock’s fly to deep center before Buehler went in to run for him.
The Giants had a shot to win in the ninth when Kenley Jansen — the ninth Dodgers pitcher in a bullpen game — walked both Ruf and Bryant sandwiched around a fly out by Brandon Belt. But pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson flew out to left and Posey, mired in a 7-for-54 slump, hit a weak ground ball to short to end the threat.
Jake McGee, seeking his 30th save, gave up a two-out single to center to Chris Taylor to tie the score 1-1 with two out in the ninth.
He was on the verge of getting out of a jam with runners at second and third and one out after Justin Turner singled and Corey Seager doubled. With the infield in, McGee got Will Smith to ground to second, with Thairo Estrada getting the out at home. Taylor then punched a soft but clean single to center to bring in the tying run. McGee retired Albert Pujols on a grounder to first to end the inning.
Starter Anthony DeSclafani left after six innings, giving up no runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He threw 83 pitches, just 17 in the fifth and sixth innings. It was his best outing since pitching six scoreless innings against Washington on July 10 and came after a month of August where he never made it past five innings and had a 5.93 earned run average. Tony Watson and Tyler Rogers each pitched scoreless innings before McGee worked the ninth.
The Giants scored first in bottom of the third inning on Austin Slater’s pinch single, but couldn’t feel all that great about it after loading the bases with none out and getting just the one run.
Phil Bickford opened the third for the Dodgers in place of opener Corey Knebel, and promptly walked the pitcher, DeSclafani, on five pitches. He then went 1-2 to Ruf but eventually lost him too on a close 3-2 slider. Belt followed with a first-pitch ground single to load the bases.
Bickford struck out Kris Bryant for the first out, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calling for Alex Vesia with LaMonte Wade Jr. due up. Once Vesia entered, Giants manager Gabe Kapler sent up Slater for Wade, and he singled to left to bring in DeSclafani and leave the bases loaded.
Vesia then got Posey on a weak roller to third, with Turner recording the force at home for the second out, and then Brandon Crawford flied to deep center to end the inning with just the one run.
