The Los Angeles Dodgers entered into Sunday’s game looking to split the four-game series with the San Francisco Giants, and conclude their trip on a positive note. The series finale featured a pair of offseason signees in Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir.
The offense for the Dodgers started out strong, sparked by Chase Utley reaching on a hit by pitch. Corey Seager then slapped a base hit to left field to put two on with no outs.
Justin Turner hit a high fastball to right field that dropped in front of Hunter Pence. As Pence gunned a throw up the third base line, Utley snuck by and gave the Dodgers the first run of the game.
Buster Posey threw over to first base after Turner made a wide turn and he was called out. However, challenged the call and they were left with runners on first and second with no outs. Adrian Gonzalez collected his sixth RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.
Cueto continued to get roughed up early, as a Yasiel Puig walk and Joc Pederson line-drive single loaded the bases for Trayce Thompson. After missing big opportunities with runners in scoring position in Saturday’s game, the rookie hit a two-run single to right field.
On the next pitch, Austin Barnes dropped an RBI bunt single down the first base line. The Giants responded in the bottom of the first behind a two-out rally. Singles from Posey, Pence and Brandon Belt cut the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1.
Matt Duffy followed with a fourth consecutive hit, which Pence narrowly managed to score on, sliding by Barnes’ tag attempt after Puig threw a strike to the plate. Kazmir put an end to the rally by striking out Brandon Crawford.
Gonzalez reached on an infield single in the second, though nothing came of it as Cueto got Puig looking to bookend the inning with strikeouts. Kazmir set the Giants down in order in the bottom of the second, also opening and ending the inning with strikeouts.
CONTINUE READING: Giants hurt Kazmir, Dodgers with the long ball
Just as he did in the second, Cueto opened and closed the third inning with strikeouts as he retired Pederson, Thompson and Barnes in order. Meanwhile, Kazmir again had trouble with the middle of the Giants’ order.
Posey crushed a hanging changeup for a solo home run, Pence singled to left, and Belt tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run homer to right-center field. Utley again helped get the Dodgers going, doubling off the right field fence with one out in the fourth.
He then showed heads-up baserunning by correctly judging a Seager RBI flare single to center. The Dodgers’ one-run lead didn’t last long as Angel Pagan clubbed a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Sunday marked the ninth time in Kazmir’s career he’s allowed at least three home runs in a game; doing so in 2006, 2008 (four home runs, twice), 2010 (three times), 2013, 2014 and 2016. Thompson reached on a two-out infield single in the fifth, but Cueto otherwise struck out the side.
Louis Coleman and Kiké Hernandez entered in the bottom half of the inning as part of a double switch. Coleman worked around a pair of walks to toss a scoreless inning of relief, catching a break as Cueto, who hit eighth in the order, came to bat with two on and two outs in the inning.
The Giants right-hander then needed all of eight pitches to throw a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Pagan hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth and it marked the end of the road for Coleman. J.P. Howell didn’t find much success as Joe Panik followed an infield single with a two-run double to center field.
Howell was then replaced by Yimi Garcia, who allowed another run to come across on a Pence sacrifice fly before he could end the inning. Joe Blanton gave up a leadoff double to Duffy in the bottom of the seventh.
However, the Giants third baseman was doubled up at second base on a Crawford lineout. Pinch-hitter Ehire Adrianza then flied to left to end the inning. Sergio Romo walked Hernandez with one out in the eighth and was removed in favor of Josh Osich.
The left-handed reliever didn’t allow the Dodgers to cut into their deficit as he retired Utley and Seager. Santiago Casilla retired Turner, Gonzalez and Puig in the ninth to earn a save in the Giants’ 9-6 win.
Los Angeles finished 4-3 on their road trip after beginning 3-0 with a sweep of the Padres. The Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday 1:10 p.m. in their 2016 home opener.