By Jeremy Kahn
AP photo: San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford reaches for a Los Angeles Dodgers Carlos Ruiz eighth inning grounder Friday night at AT&T Park in game one of the three game series
SAN FRANCISCO-Conor Gillaspie came up with the biggest hit of the 2016 season for the San Francisco Giants, and then Madison Bumgarner helped out his cause with another hit.
Gillaspie hit a two-run double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning to score Angel Pagan and Brandon Crawford with the tying and eventual game winning runs, as the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-3 before a crowd of 41,359, the 486th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.
Pagan walked on four pitches off of Brandon McCarthy, and then Brandon Crawford began a stretch of where five Giants in a row got hits off of McCarthy, as Crawford and then Kelby Tomlinson singled to load the bases. Gillaspie then supplied the magic, as he hit a two-run double down the left field line.
After Gillaspie gave the Giants the lead for good, Bumgarner lengthened the lead, as he hit a two-run double to score Tomlinson and Gillaspie.
That would not be the end of the scoring or the hitting barrage in the inning, as then Denard Span, pinch hitting for Gorkys Hernandez singled and then Brandon Belt got in on the act, as he hit a towering three-run home run to straightaway centerfield for his 17th home run of the season.
Bumgarner went 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out five on his way to 15th win of the season in what was his final regular season start of the 2016 season.
The Dodgers, who have already wrapped up the National League Western Division Championship for the fourth consecutive season got to Bumgarner for two runs in the first inning.
Yasiel Puig drove in Justin Turner with a double after Turner singled with one out, and then potential NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager scored on a Carlos Ruiz single. Seager singled following Turner, and just prior to Puig’s double.
Posey cut the Dodgers lead in half in the bottom of the first inning, as he singled to centerfield to score Gorkys Hernandez, who doubled to lead off the Giants half of the inning. Pagan then tied up the game with a sacrifice fly to score Belt, who walked after the Hernandez.
It was a big night for Belt, who went three-for-three, with a walk and that big three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that blew the game wide open.
The Dodgers took the lead in the top of the sixth inning, as Kike Hernandez singled in Carlos Ruiz, who singled with two out.
Dodgers starting pitcher and former Oakland A’s pitcher Rich Hill went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four; however he did not fare in the decision.
McCarthy, who like Hill is a former A’s pitcher and he did not fare well in relief. He did not retire a batter, as the first six batters he faced all reached base that included a walk to Pagan and then five straight hits.

