San Francisco Giants Spoil Dodgers’ Home Opener, 8-4
By Phil Watson
Apr 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Morse (38) doubles in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants did their offensive work early, scoring six runs in the first inning and adding two more in the second before holding on for an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-1) came into the game having not allowed a run in 12 innings over his first two starts this season, but that streak came to an end in spectacular fashion … and it all happened with two outs.
Pablo Sandoval got an innocent-enough looking two-out walk before Buster Posey cracked a double to left to put runners on second and third.
Michael Morse lined a single up the middle to score both runners and wound up at second when center fielder Matt Kemp—making his first appearance of the season after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day—couldn’t field the ball cleanly.
Brandon Belt flared a soft single into right field to score Morse to put the Giants up 3-0 and Brandon Hicks got a gift double on a pop up that first baseman Adrian Gonzalez couldn’t get to.
After Joaquin Arias was intentionally walked, pitcher Ryan Vogelsong—getting to hit before having to throw a pitch—popped a ball over shortstop Hanley Ramirez’s head to score two more runs and Angel Pagan—batting for the second time in the inning—singled up the middle to give San Francisco a 6-0 lead.
They weren’t quite done with Ryu.
Posey reached when Ramirez’s throw short-hopped Gonzalez for the Dodgers’ second error. Posey moved to second on Belt’s grounder and with two outs, Hicks ripped a double to the wall in center to put the Giants up 7-0. Arias singled to score Hicks before Ryu finally got out of the inning.
It was a long—if short—day for Ryu, who allowed eight runs, six earned, on eight hits and three walks in just two innings, fanning two and throwing 69 pitches.
Hopefully the Giants enjoyed all that offense because it was all they would get on the day.
The Dodgers got to Vogelsong in the fourth when Gonzalez and Andre Ethier cracked back-to-back homers to start the inning and they were able to chase Vogelsong in the fifth before he could qualify for the victory. Kemp drove in Carl Crawford with a double to the gap in left-center and Ethier grounded an RBI single up the middle off reliever David Huff to cut the deficit to 8-4.
From there on out, the bullpens slammed the door shut.
Vogelsong allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks in four-plus innings, striking out four.
But the Giants relief corps—Huff, J.C. Gutierrez, Jean Machi and Javier Lopez—combined for five innings and allowed only three hits while striking out seven.
Four Dodger relievers—Jose Dominguez, Brandon League, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright—were even better, no-hitting the Giants over the final seven innings, walking one and striking out 10.
The Giants (4-1) moved ahead of the Dodgers (4-2) in the National League West race (let’s not try to calculate a magic number just yet, but still …), the first time San Francisco has been in sole possession of the division lead since last May 16.
Hicks, making his first start for the Giants at second base, had two of the Giants’ eight hits.
The Giants and Dodgers meet again Saturday at 1:10 p.m., with Madison Bumgarner (0-0, 0.00 ERA) facing Paul Maholm (0-0, 0.00), who will be making his first start for the Dodgers after making a relief appearance in Australia against Arizona.