Dubon and Slater go deep against Kershaw in Giants win 5-4

The San Francisco Giants Mauricio Dubon connects for a two run home run in the top of the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles Sun May 30, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers last weekend at Oracle Park, and then losing the opener on Thursday night, people were probably thinking, this season will change immediately.

Fortunately for Giants fans it changed in a good way, as the Giants scored three runs in the top of the first inning, with the big blow, being a two-run home run by Mauricio Dubon and the Giants hung on late to defeat the Dodgers 5-4 at Dodger Stadium. With the victory, the Giants won three out of four in the series and are now a season-high 13 games over .500.

Flores, who hit his third home run of the season hit the first pitch he saw from Clayton Kershaw and planted it off the left field foul pole. It was the second career home run for Flores against Kershaw, and both home runs hit the left field foul pole at Dodger Stadium.

The first Flores home run came on September 6, 2019 off of Kershaw, and joins Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner and Austin Slater as Giants who have multiple home runs off of Kershaw.

Los Angeles area native Evan Longoria, who grew up in Downey before going to Cal State Long Beach drove in the first Giants run of the afternoon, as he grounded out to Gavin Lux to score Slater.

When the Giants scored three runs off of Kershaw in the first inning, it marked the first time that they scored three or more against him in the first inning.

Slater joined that club with Posey, Bumgarner and Flores as players who have hit two or more home runs against Kershaw, as he hit his seventh home run of the season over the center field in the top of the third inning.

Kevin Gausman continues to show why he is now the ace of the Giants pitching staff, as he went six innings, allowing just two hits, walking no one and striking out seven on his way to his sixth win of the season against zero losses.

Gausman also helped himself out at the plate, as he drove an opposite field single to left field in the top of the fourth inning that scored Dubon to lengthen the Giants lead up to 5-0.

The right-hander will get an MRI on his hip, that has been an issue for a few weeks and felt it on the base hit and then again on the great play that ended the sixth inning.

It was a tough day for Kershaw, as he went six innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out six and allowed two home runs, as his record fell to 7-4 on the season.

Things were rolling for the Giants, as they entered the bottom of the eighth inning, when new nemesis, Max Muncy hit a two-run home run off of Zack Littell to narrow the Giants lead down to 5-2.

It was the fifth home run for Muncy in a single-season six game span versus the Giants, as he joins Paul Lo Duca in 2001, and Reggie Smith (2 overlapping spans), this according to Sarah Langs on Sports.

The home run for Muncy was the 100th career home run of his career, and he his third home run of the series.

Jake McGee closed it out for the Giants, as he picked up his 12th save of the season, despite the fact that he allowed a two-run home run to Albert Pujols, as the future Hall-of-Famer hit a ball that landed in the Dodger bullpen.

It was the eighth home run of the season for Pujols, and the 670th home run of his career, as he fifth on the all-time list, 26 behind Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the all-time list.

McGee also committed a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning, as his throw on a Cody Bellinger dribbler that saw Lemonte Wade, Jr., unable to stay on first base.

After Bellinger reached Lux struck out, but then Pujols cut the Giants lead down to one; however, McGee was able to strike out Will Smith looking and then Austin Barnes, who tied up the game on Friday night came up with a chance to tie up the game again, but he flew out to Mike Yastrzemski in right field to preserve the Giants win.

NOTES: Caleb Baragar was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 29) with left shoulder inflammation) and Nick Tropeano was recalled from Sacramento.

By scoring the 11 runs on 16 hits, it was the most runs at Dodger Stadium since September 14, 2013, when they scored 19 runs and picked up 22 hits in a 19-3 victory and it was the 10th win of the season for Tim Lincecum.

The Giants improved their record in day games to 15-6, tying the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in the majors in day games.

UP NEXT: Johnny Cueto opens up the home stand against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday afternoon, who will send Dylan Bundy to the mound. Cueto is looking to improve his record to 4-1 on the season, while Bundy looks for his first win of the season, as he is 0-5.

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