Something had to give Friday night at AT&T Park Friday night, as the Los Angeles Dodgers entered 11-1 in games Clayton Kershaw started this season, with the San Francisco Giants holding the same mark in Johnny Cueto’s starts.
The game got off to an unusual start as Cueto hit Chase Utley to put the leadoff man on base, then saw Corey Seager reach on an infield single. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Cueto went to the windup and was called for balk, allowing the Dodgers to take a 1-0 lead.
Cueto struck out Justin Turner swinging, but Adrian Gonzalez followed with an RBI single. Trayce Thompson also singled to right field, but both runners were stranded by Joc Pederson and Yasmani Grandal.
Kershaw started the bottom of the first with a strikeout of Denard Span on three pitches. He didn’t get out of the inning unscathed, as Matt Duffy turned on an 0-1 pitch for a solo home run hit to left field.
In similar fashion to the last time he faced the Dodgers at AT&T Park, Cueto shook off a rough first inning. He struck out Kiké Hernandez and Kershaw in the second, then got Utley to fly out for a quick 1-2-3 frame.
Kershaw breezed his way through the bottom of the second by striking out the side. Cueto kept the Dodgers off the bases again in the third, running his string of consecutive batters retired to eight.
He was matched by Kershaw in the bottom half of the inning, with the left-handed ace picking up his fifth strikeout of the game en route to protecting the Dodgers’ slim lead.
CONTINUE READING: Kershaw and Cueto duel through eight, Turner hits go-ahead home run
Cueto’s string of consecutive batters retired ended at 13 with two outs in the fifth inning as a pitch grazed the back of Utley’s leg. Home plate D.J. Reyburn disagreed with Utley’s claim he was hit, but the veteran infielder was awarded first base after the Dodgers challenged the ruling.
Cueto inadvertently threw over to first without Belt covering, which allowed Utley to move into scoring position on the errant throw. That’s as far as he reached, with Seager getting called out on strikes on a borderline outside pitch.
The Giants found some luck in the bottom of the fifth with Mac Williamson reaching on a chopper that hit off Kershaw’s leg. Seager attempted to make a late play and his ill-advised throw went into the dugout, putting Williamson on second base with one out.
Brandon Crawford then reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners. However, Kershaw worked his way out of the jam on a Jarrett Parker strikeout and Cueto grounder.
The Dodgers’ inability to add to their lead caught up to them in the bottom of the sixth as Buster Posey’s RBI double to left-center field tied the game at 2-2. Cueto retired the side in order in the seventh, holding the Dodgers without a hit since the first inning.
After a Williamson strikeout, Crawford nearly put the Giants ahead with a deep fly ball that was caught in front of the fence in straightaway center field. Kershaw then got Parker swinging to give him 11 strikeouts in the game.
At that moment, Kershaw’s strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season was back up to 20-to-1. Kershaw picked up consecutive strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth and got a deep fly ball to keep the game tied.
Santiago Casilla took over for the Giants in the ninth and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Turner on a line drive that just cleared the fence in left field. Belt hit a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth and Kenley Jansen issued a walk before earning a save in the Dodgers’ 3-2 victory.
Their win cut the Giants’ lead in the NL West to three games enter playing on Saturday.