The Los Angeles Dodgers set a franchise record by hitting a home run in a seventh straight game to start a season and came from behind after squandering a lead to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 5-3. The Dodgers finished 5-2 on a homestand that saw them rewrite multiple records.
Kiké Hernandez’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning gave L.A. an early lead, which Cody Bellinger extended on an infield RBI single deep into the shift. Bellinger drove in his MLB-best 13th run thanks to David Freese’s alert baserunning.
After Ross Stripling faced the minimum and needed just 27 pitches to get through three scoreless innings, he came unglued in the fourth. Steven Duggar led the inning off with a home run, and Brandon Belt’s two-run blast to right field gave the Giants a lead.
Stripling benefitted from Kevin Pillar being called out for running inside the baseline. A hit batsman loaded the bases with two outs, though Stripling benefitted from that bringing up Giants starter Derek Holland.
Stripling limited the damage to just two runs but faced nine batters and threw 34 pitches in the inning.
While Holland was unable to help his cause, he struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth inning and stranded a pair of runners in the fifth. The Giants bullpen failed to preserve the lead, however, as David Freese launched a go-ahead two-run double off the wall in right-center field in the seventh inning.
Chris Taylor’s RBI double in the eighth provided some insurance for Kenley Jansen, who retired the side in order in the ninth inning to convert his second save of the series and third this season.
