© Kelley L Cox | 2021 Jul 29
If you said before the three-game set with the Dodgers that the Giants weren’t going to hit a single home run, a series win would’ve seemed remote.
Yet that’s what San Francisco (64-38) did, taking two of three from the Dodgers (62-42) with Thursday’s 5-0 win at Oracle Park.
It’s just the third time Los Angeles has been shut out this season, the Giants pitching staff allowing just a total of four hits to one of the most potent lineups in baseball. San Francisco has now won five of seven against their rivals, and has a three-game lead in the NL West ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
Interestingly, it was reliever Jarlin Garcia who provided the most thrilling moment on Thursday afternoon.
Entering after starting pitcher Johnny Cueto walked Justin Turner to load the bases with two outs, Garcia blew away Cody Bellinger on three pitches, punctuating the strikeout with a roundhouse kick and some hollering. Garcia’s incredible campaign continues, his 0.84 WHIP is only second on the team to Jake McGee’s 0.82.
It was one example of a banner day for Giants pitching, which also included Tyler Rogers striking out the side in the eighth, and a scoreless frame from McGee in the ninth.
Cueto was also excellent, and was hard done not to get out of the sixth. He induced a ground ball that should’ve made for a double play to end the inning, but it was bobbled by Donovan Solano at second, ensuring that the Giants couldn’t get Chris Taylor at first. Max Muncy then singled on the second pitch of the at-bat before Turner’s 10-pitch odyssey turned walk.
It looked like Cueto might get another chance even after walking Bellinger, with Gabe Kapler talking to the veteran for a good 30 seconds before gesturing to the bullpen for Garcia.
Despite throwing just 77 pitches, it was as good as Cueto has looked all season. The 35-year-old showed off vintage stuff in the fourth, fanning Muncy and Bellinger while touching 95 on the gun. Cueto didn’t give up an earned run and struck out five in the five and two-thirds he pitched, enough for a standing ovation from the Oracle Park crowd upon exit.
Brandon Crawford’s brief stint on the IL didn’t seem to change much, the shortstop bounced a two-run double down the third-base line in his first at-bat in the opening frame. The team-leading 60th RBI earned Crawford his second standing ovation of the day, the first coming when his name was announced pregame.
Darin Ruf had a fun moment in the fourth, smacking his first triple since 2012. The hit led to an interesting sequence, where the Dodgers intentionally walked Brandon Crawford and LaMonte Wade Jr. back-to-back, to load the bases with two outs, and have Curt Casali face former Giant Phil Bickford. The risk paid off, Bickford struck Casali out on four pitches.
Wade Jr. finally got off the schneid later in the game, ending his career 0-for-31 record against left-handers with an RBI double off Victor Gonzalez in the seventh.