LOS ANGELES San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore was one out away from no-hitting the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, but any disappointment in missing history there was overshadowed by the much-needed 4-0 win.

 The series finale kept the Giants from being swept by their rivals after two games at Dodger Stadium that built on their slump since the All-Star break.

 “He had a great delivery,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Moore. “He had everything working tonight and really saved us from getting swept – that’s the last thing we wanted to happen here so if you look at a game, this is as big as any game we’ve had this year. We had to win today.”

 The Giants got off to their best start in the series, with Brandon Belt singling on a ground ball to left fielder Howie Kendrick and allowing Brandon Crawford scored and put San Francisco up 2-0 in the fourth inning. Then Joe Panik hit a home run on a fly ball to right field and Belt scored, lifting the Giants to a 3-0 lead.

 It was around then that Moore said he started to think about a no-no.

 “I think I looked up to see where I was hitting, where the order was at and I think it was probably the fourth inning or something,” he said.

 In the sixth inning, Denard Span singled on a line drive to right fielder Enrique Hernandez and Panik scored, putting San Francisco up 4-0.

 Bochy had a couple of players lined up in the eighth inning to relieve Moore, but didn’t.

 “I talked to him and said, ‘Listen, I know what a great opportunity you have here,’ and he said, ‘I’m telling you, I couldn’t feel better,’ so I gave him that ninth inning,” Bochy said.

 Moore took the no-hitter into the ninth and got two outs before the Dodgers’ Corey Seager – who had his bobblehead night – lifted singled to right field.

 It would have been the Giants’ first no-hitter over the Dodgers in 101 years.

 Moore walked three and struck out seven in 8 2/3 innings in his first win since joining San Francisco at the trade deadline. “I’m happy,” he said.

 “No-hitter, it’s a personal milestone, it’s the personal achievement,” Moore said. “I think that just in general being out there in a ninth inning and have the opportunity for a complete game, those are what starting pitchers want.”

 Giants center fielder Denard Span made two big catches, one of them from Kike Hernandez in the ninth that he slid to get.

 “That fired up everybody. What a catch with what was at stake,” Bochy said. “I thought it was a base hit … and he made a great catch and the play like that, it fires up everybody. I’m sure it did for Moore.”

Dodgers’ starting pitcher Ross Stripling allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 innings.

 The Giants, pulling within two games of the Dodgers in the NL West, return to AT&T Park on Friday to face the Atlanta Braves at 7:15 p.m.

 “Hopefully something like this – it can be anything – the come from behind win or a walk or hopefully a shutout like this here can spark something,” Moore said, “And get the ball rolling and get on a good streak.”