The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their road trip with a 5-3 win that completed a sweep of the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Mookie Betts gave the Dodgers a decided lead with a go-ahead three-run homer off Giants starter Jakob Junis. It was Betts’ team-leading 25th home run of the season.
Tempers would flare in the sixth inning due to Giants relief pitcher Jarlin García mocking the Dodgers’ head-tap celebration after striking out Cody Bellinger and James Outman. García stared at Betts while doing so after the second instance.
Umpires kept the two players separated, but Giants manager Gabe Kapler stormed out of the dugout and got ejected. The ejection was Kapler’s first during his career as Giants manager.
Betts shared his thoughts on the incident after the game and explained he was confused by García’s gesture, via SportsNet LA:
“I don’t know. You’ve got to ask him. I was just standing on deck and he pointed straight at me and did our hits celebration. You’ve got to ask him. I’ve got no idea.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also surprised that García seemingly tried to call out Betts, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I think every team, offensively when they get hits, they do something to kind of get their teammates going and gesture to the dugout. So for him to kind of imitate our players and basically look at Mookie and kind of call him out, was very surprising. Mookie is a guy that does everything the right way and has never had any intention to show any opponent up. He was taken aback and he was shocked, as was I.”
Trea Turner additionally wasn’t sure why García was so frustrated at that particular point in the game, via SportsNet LA:
“Yes and no. I think nothing really surprises me anymore, but at the time of the game, the score of the game and the inning, it didn’t really make a lot of sense to a lot of us, I think. But I guess that’s where they’re at.”
Turner is who brought the celebration to the Dodgers, which was taken from “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Turner and the entire Dodgers dugout did their celebration after his home run in the seventh inning.
Dodgers make history
The Dodgers swept the Giants in a four-game series played in San Francisco for the first time since July 1-4, 1977. They have eight consecutive victories against the Giants, which tied the Los Angeles franchise record for the longest winning streak in their head-to-head meetings.
The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers hold the franchise record with 10 consecutive wins over the New York Giants.
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