The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t receive a sharp outing from a left-handed starter a second consecutive night, but whereas they weren’t able to muster ample run support for Clayton Kershaw, they did so for Alex Wood on Tuesday night.
Sparked by a Cody Bellinger three-run triple in the second inning, the Dodgers went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 13-5. Wood struck out a pair and worked around a two-out Hunter Pence single in the first inning.
After Matt Moore collected a strikeout and retired the side in order in the bottom of the first on just six pitches, the Giants stormed to a lead.
A soft grounder followed by a rocket to third base resulted in infield singles that left two on with nobody out in the second inning. After Nick Hundley walked to load the bases with one out, Moore blooped an RBI single into center field.
Kiké Hernandez got a bad jump on the ball and compounded matters with a poor throw to home plate, where Wood was not backing up. Two runs scored on the play. Brandon Belt added a two-run double before Wood could get out of the inning.
Franklin Gutierrez’s first at-bat since coming off the disabled list produced what the Dodgers hoped for when signing the veteran outfielder — a home run off a lefty. Moore promptly walked Chris Taylor on four pitches, Yasiel Puig reached on an infield single, and Austin Barnes worked a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
Bellinger’s bases-clearing triple tied the game and sent Dodger Stadium into a frenzy. Wood helped his cause with an RBI flare single, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Corey Seager doubled with one out, and Justin Turner’s sacrifice fly tacked on another run.
Buster Posey’s leadoff base hit in the third was eventually cashed in by Joe Panik on an RBI single. Wood shook off the inning to bookend a 1-2-3 fourth with strikeouts. A Bellinger single and walks by Hernandez and Seager loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
That marked the end of the road for Moore, who gave way to Cory Gearrin. The Giants’ right-handed reliever hit Turner with a pitch to bring in a run. It was the sixth time Turner has been hit this season, which is tied for second in the Majors.
Gutierrez’s forceout plated another run, and after Taylor walked for the third time on the night, Puig delivered a two-run single. Wood’s night came to an end at 94 pitches over five innings.
He allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits, walked one, struck out eight, and finished the outing by retiring seven in a row.
Puig’s second two-run base hit of the game extended the Dodgers’ lead to 12-5 in the sixth inning, and Adrian Gonzalez’s pinch-hit RBI single provided Los Angeles with more cushion. Sergio Romo, Luis Avilan and Chris Hatcher combined to throw four scoreless innings, with Hatcher going the final two frames.
