Los Angeles Dodgers aid pitcher Evan Phillips, left, and catcher Will Smith congratulate one another after the Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-2 in a baseball sport Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. Credit score: AP/Mark J. Terrill
Los Angeles Dodgers beginning pitcher Emmet Sheehan throws to the plate in the course of the first inning of a baseball sport in opposition to the San Francisco Giants Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. Credit score: AP/Mark J. Terrill
San Francisco Giants middle fielder Tyler Fitzgerald slides after trying to make a catch on a ball hit for a triple by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith as proper fielder Mike Yastrzemski goes after the ball in the course of the sixth inning of a baseball sport Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. Fitzgerald was unable to carry on to the ball after initially catching it. Credit score: AP/Mark J. Terrill
LOS ANGELES — J.D. Martinez’s sacrifice fly drove within the go-ahead run within the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers capitalized on two bodily and one psychological blunder by the San Francisco Giants to win 7-2 Thursday evening within the sequence opener.
The Giants have dropped six of seven on their street journey to fall additional out of the NL wild-card race.
Will Smith tripled off John Brebbia (3-1) and Martinez adopted with the fly to proper. Mike Yastrzemski wasn’t that deep when he caught the ball flat-footed after which held it for a second, apparently forgetting there have been solely two outs.
That gave Smith time sufficient to cost residence for a 3-2 lead.
“Yaz made a really uncharacteristic psychological error,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “They normally do not make these sort of errors.”
Two wild pitches by reliever Luke Jackson led to 2 runs for the NL West champion Dodgers within the seventh.
Jackson’s pitch went all the best way to the backstop, permitting Chris Taylor to attain from third after Taylor reached on third baseman J.D. Davis’ throwing error. James Outman, who doubled, moved as much as third.
Los Angeles Dodgers beginning pitcher Emmet Sheehan throws to the plate in the course of the first inning of a baseball sport in opposition to the San Francisco Giants Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. Credit score: AP/Mark J. Terrill
Outman scored on one other wild pitch by Jackson, extending the Dodgers’ result in 5-2.
“You may’t flip it off and switch it on,” Taylor mentioned. “It’s nonetheless the identical goal, nothing adjustments simply because we clinched. We’re making an attempt to win video games and head into the postseason the identical method we began.”
Freddie Freeman singled within the eighth to tie his profession excessive of 199 hits set final yr. He then stole his twenty first base of the season and scored on Martinez’s ninety fifth RBI for a 6-2 lead.
Shelby Miller (2-0) received the victory with one inning of aid.
San Francisco Giants middle fielder Tyler Fitzgerald slides after trying to make a catch on a ball hit for a triple by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith as proper fielder Mike Yastrzemski goes after the ball in the course of the sixth inning of a baseball sport Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. Fitzgerald was unable to carry on to the ball after initially catching it. Credit score: AP/Mark J. Terrill
Former Dodger Joc Pederson homered 430 toes into straightaway middle off reliever Alex Vesia to tie the sport at 2-all within the sixth.
Dodgers rookie Emmet Sheehan retired the primary 10 batters he confronted, putting out eight. Wilmer Flores walked on a 3-2 pitch earlier than Pederson grounded right into a double play to finish the fourth.
“I construct confidence each begin, however for positive the final two have been nice,” Sheehan mentioned. “That is helped me loads.”
Sheehan loaded the bases with two outs within the fifth. He hit Yastrzemski and walked Marco Luciano and Blake Sabol back-to-back. After a go to from pitching coach Mark Prior, Sheehan walked Tyler Fitzgerald on eight pitches to power within the Giants’ first run.
“When he received to that fifth inning there was somewhat little bit of operating low on gas within the tank,” Roberts mentioned.
With the bases loaded once more, Vesia changed Sheehan and struck out pinch-hitter Davis to finish the lengthy inning.
Sheehan allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings, struck out a season-high 9 and walked 4. He hasn’t given up a success in two begins and 10 2/3 innings in opposition to the Giants.
He has pitched himself into the Dodgers’ postseason dialog.
“He’s most likely received one of many prime fastballs in our group,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s doing his half in sort of dealing with himself in massive spots in massive video games in opposition to good groups.”
Sheehan mentioned he is prepared “for something they need me to do.”
The Dodgers led 2-0 on Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly within the third and Martinez’s thirtieth homer within the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford (proper hamstring pressure) can have therapy by way of the weekend and be reevaluated subsequent week. … RHP Alex Cobb (left hip impingement) is just not doing any baseball exercise and might be reevaluated subsequent week.
LIKE SON, LIKE MOTHER
Brusdar Graterol’s mom, Ysmalia, tossed out the primary pitch two nights after seeing her son pitch within the main leagues for the primary time.
“Now we all know the place he will get it,” public tackle announcer Todd Leitz mentioned after Ysmalia stood atop the mound and fired a rocket to her son behind the plate.
The group cheered as they shared an embrace.
Graterol was reunited along with his mom for the primary time in seven years Sunday when she arrived from Venezuela She plans to be within the U.S. by way of no less than the tip of the postseason.
UP NEXT
LHP Sean Manaea (6-6, 4.82 ERA) goes for the Giants on Friday. LHP Caleb Ferguson (7-3, 2.56) would be the Dodgers’ opener.
