The Giants’ final series of the season against the Dodgers began as almost every other rivalry game has gone in 2022: with a loss.
This loss, Dodgers starter Dustin May held the Giants hitless for the first five innings — until his early departure. San Francisco matched its season-low with two hits overall.
The Dodgers took the lead with a run in the second and knocked starter Logan Webb out with three more in the fourth. They added another in the ninth and set a season-high with four stolen bases. All the while, the Giants (69-75) didn’t strike any fear in the Dodgers, as has been the case in most of their meetings.
With the 5-0 loss, the Giants are 4-13 on the year against Los Angeles. SF has never lost more than 14 games to the Dodgers in a season. The Giants won the season series in last year’s 107-win campaign. They’re 30.5 games behind LA this time around.
In the first inning, Joc Pederson sliced a ball deep into the left field corner. It looked like a surefire double, but Joey Gallo made a diving, back-handed, snow-cone catch to retire the side.
It was the only time the Giants got close to recording a hit off Dustin May.
Pederson’s out had an expected batting average of .380. May didn’t allow another ball in play with an expected average over .300.
Though May coasted through five no-hit innings, Dodgers manager lifted him at 69 pitches. San Francisco broke up the no-hitter with two-outs in the sixth with Luis González’s infield single that landed five feet from home plate and trickled past the mound.
Webb had no chance to match May anyway, but his night ended prematurely when the Dodgers put up three runs in the fourth inning.
The righty needed 36 pitches to get through the fourth, bringing his total to 90 once he retreated to the dugout.
Since emerging in 2021, Webb has fared well against the Dodgers. In eight starts this year and last, he posted a 2.64 ERA against LA. He put together two masterpieces in the NLDS, including a Game 1 shutout.
But he didn’t have it on Friday. He walked two batters after not walking any in his previous two starts. He fell behind in counts. Max Muncy and Justin Turner smoked doubles. Mookie Betts lined a 103.3 mph single. Webb generated 11 whiffs and fanned two, but too often Dodger batters timed him up.
Webb’s four earned runs were the most he’s allowed since Aug. 1. In the seven starts since then, he’d racked up a 1.88 ERA.
Against the Dodgers’ bullpen, the Giants’ lineup hardly fared better. After González’s ice-breaking single, David Villar — in his first start at cleanup — lined a single to center. Brandon Crawford drove a ball deep to left-center, but Cody Bellinger leapt at the wall.
Thomas Szapucki and Luis Ortiz put together impressive appearances, but the Giants remained stuck at zero with empty at-bats.
Up until this week, when the Dodgers officially clinched the division with their 98th win, the Giants were reigning National League West champions. Apart from April and scattered spurts, they haven’t played like it.
