© Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — One run was enough for the San Francisco Giants (4-4) to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (3-6) in the first two games of the season. However, it wasn’t enough for the Giants on Sunday afternoon as they lost 2-1 to the Dodgers in the tenth inning.
After nine innings, the Giants and Dodgers found themselves tied at 1-1. Pierce Johnson came on to pitch the tenth, but gave up a leadoff double to Cody Bellinger. Although Johnson got two quick outs, Kyle Farmer doubled in Bellinger, the game-winning run.
Kenley Jansen pitched the bottom of the tenth and did what he’d done so many times before — closed the game.
He worked around a single by Hunter Pence by striking out Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt to secure the Dodgers win.
Since the previous game didn’t end until the 14th inning, the Giants rearranged their lineup on Sunday. Instead of Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt, the Giants started Nick Hundley behind the plate, Kelby Tomlinson at shortstop, and Pablo Sandoval at first base.
Fortunately, Bruce Bochy decided Buster Posey’s full day off would have to wait.
With the Giants trailing 1-0, Pence led off the eighth inning with a single. Then, Tomlinson singled on a bunt that completely fooled the Dodgers and knocked Clayton Kershaw from the game. He pitched seven innings, allowing six hits and one run while striking out six.
Tomlinson’s bunt brought Posey, who came in as a pinch-hitter, to the plate and he tied the game with an RBI single off J.T. Chargios.
Prior to the eighth, the Dodgers grabbed the lead off Ty Blach in the fifth inning. After allowing a leadoff single and walk, Blach struck out Yasmani Grandal, but gave up a run-scoring single to Matt Kemp.
Nonetheless, that’s all the damage the Dodgers did against Blach; who finished his third start of the year after six innings with four hits and one run, striking out one and walking three.
The Giants will stay in San Francisco and Derek Holland will open up a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday at 7:15 PM.
