Los Angeles Dodgers Max Muncy (right) turns on a San Francisco Kevin Gausman pitch for a solo home run in the third inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Tue Jun 29, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

There is a new nemesis within the longtime rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and lo and behold, he also used to play for the Oakland As.

Max Muncy, who once told said to former Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, if you want the ball, If you don’t want me to watch the ball, you can go get it out of the ocean,” after he hit a home run into McCovey Cove, which is actually San Francisco Bay and not the Pacific Ocean.

Muncy was up to his old tricks again, as he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, helping the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Giants at Dodger Stadium and completing the sweep in a short two-game series and sending the Giants to their third straight loss.

Chris Taylor got the Dodgers on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit an opposite field double to right field off of eventual losing pitcher Kevin Gausman that allowed both Muncy and Justin Turner to score for the reigning World Champions, who are just 1.5 games behind the Giants for the lead in the National League West.

Walker Buehler pitched the first 6.2 innings for the victorious Dodgers, as he allowed just one run on three hits, walking one and striking out seven, as he raised his record to 8-1 on the season.

It was a tough loss for Gausman, who fell to 8-2 on the season, as he went 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on three hits, walking five and striking out four, before he gave way to the bullpen that kept the Dodgers off bases. The trio of Jose Alvarez, Zack Littell and John Brebbia did not allow a Dodgers batter to reach base, as they struck out three over the final three innings.

Steven Duggar continued his hot hitting, as he doubled the only run of the game for the Giants, when he doubled off of Buehler that allowed Wilmer Flores to score.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got into a jam in the top of the ninth inning, as he hit Alex Dickerson, then walked Buster Posey; however, Jansen was able to regroup to get Brandon Crawford on a called third strike, with a perfect slider over the plate, then Flores popped out to Gavin Lux for the second out and then Jansen nailed down his 20th save of the season, as he struck out Duggar swinging to end the game.

This is not the last time that the two rivals will see each other, as the Giants will travel to Dodger Stadium for the final time for a four-game series beginning on July 19 and then the Dodgers travel to San Francisco a week later for a three-game series and then Labor Day weekend.

NOTES: Prior to the game, the Giants recalled Thairo Estrada from Sacramento and optioned Mauricio Dubon to Sacramento.

With the sweep, the Dodgers ended the Giants 10 series streak, where they either won or spilt, as they went 7-0-3 during the run. The last team to win a series over the Giants, who swept the Giants at Oracle Park from May 21-23.

This Is also the first time since that series sweep by the Dodgers over the Giants at Oracle Park that the Giants have lost three in a row.

After picking up two hits in the opener, Buster Posey now has 88 hits at Dodger Stadium, good for second most by a Giants player since the ballpark opened in 1962, only trailing Willie McCovey who picked up 95 hits while playing for the Giants.

UP NEXT: After a day-off on Wednesday, the Giants begin a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Chase Field.