Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner, right, scores on a double by Chris Taylor as San Francisco Giants catcher Curt Casali waits for the throw during the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jun 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (NL) 2-6-1

San Francisco. 7-10-0

Friday, June 10, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Los Angeles Dodgers (37-21) came to town leading the Padres by two games for the top spot in the National League Western Division race. They’ve won 12 of the 18 series they’ve played this year. The San Francisco Giants (31-26) started the day in third place, four and a half games behind San Diego.

It’s early in the season, and the situation is fluid, but the outlook wasn’t brilliant for baytown fans tonight. Their team had been 8-12 over the last three weeks, and two thirds of those losses came against teams that were playing below .500 ball.

The Dodgers, in spite of their 37-20 record, showed up at 24 Willie MaysPlaza with problems of their own. Their starting pitcher, Walker Buelher, a five year veteran and two time all star, was the subject of an article by Fabian Ardy in The Athletic five days ago.

Its title was, “Dodgers Pitcher Walker Buehler’s Struggles Persist into June: ‘I Want to Be Good.'” More than one big league hurler would like to have struggles like those; Bulher toed the mound at 6-2,3.84. Not Cy Young numbers, but, given the state of baseball today …..

The Giants had considered holding Logan Webb back a day so that he could start tonight’s contest for them. Instead, he pitched last night and was the victim of another late inning San Francisco melt down.

Tonight’s starter for the orange and black was four year veteran Jakob Junis, who took the mound sporting a record of 3-1,2.51. He used to feature a two seamer, slider, cutter, and change of pace, but this year he’s added a sinker that he throws about 30% of the time,

The result of tonight’s encounter, a resounding 7-2 victor for San Francisco was emotionally satisfying but in the cold, hard, mathematical light of the season long pennant race is no cause for rejoycing.

Los Dodgers struck first. Justin Turner led off the second with a sharp single to right. After Junis fanned Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor smacked a liner between Joc Pederson in left and Mike Yastrzemski in center for a running scoring double to put the visitors on the board with a 1-0 advantage.

It was the ex-Dodger Pederson who scored the tying tally in the bottom of the frame. He singled to center to lead off and then, with Evan Longoria at the plate after Darin Ruf had struck out, stole second without a throw.

Longoria sent a bouncing ball down the left field line for a double that drove in Pederson. Brandon Crawford’s single to center drove in Longoria with San Francisco’s second run, putting them ahead, 2-1.

After Thairo Estrada popped out to first, Buehler struck out five consecutive Giant batters. Then, with one down in the home fourth, Ruf drove a 93 mph four seamer 389 feet into the left field bleachers for his fourth home run and 18th RBI of the season, increasing the Giants’ margin to 3-1.

In the top of the fifth. Gavin Lux quickly reduced that gap to 3-2 with a lead off 412 blast over the center field fence just over the glove of the leaping Yastztremski.

Buehler didn’t come out to pitch the bottom half of the inning. He went four innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits, including one dinger, and no walks. He struck out six while throwing 70 pitches, 43 of which counted as strikes.

Buehler’s successor, Justin Bruihl. He got Estrada, now playing third, to fly out to center. Then Curt Casali beat out a slow grounder to Bruihl. Austin Slater, hitting for González, slapped a ball to the mound. Bruihl fell on his patootie fielding it and threw wildly to first.

Slater swas awarded a single, and he advanced to second on the throwing error, which put Casali on third. After Yaz went down swinging, Bruihl was issued a free pass. Pederson and Ruf hit back to back singles, and, just like that, San Francisco was basking in a 6-2 lead.

That good news didn’t last long. Pitching to Max Muncy, the first batter in the Dodger sixth, Junis fell off the mound, seeming to have twisted his ankle. It turned out that, if I heard the announcement properly, he had a strained left hamstring.

In any case, he had to leave the game and was replaced by John Brebbia, who retired Muncy on a fly to right Brebbia, who before disposing of thee rest of the side on one hit and a looooong fly to left center that Pederson chased down on the warning track.

Junis´s line was five innings pitched, in which he made 92 deliveries, of which 64 were counted as strikes, and allowed two runs, both earned, on five hits, one of which went the distance. He struck out five.

Phil Bickford replaced the ill-used Bruihl in the sixth and stuck around for one batter in the bottom of the seventh, yielding to David Price when it was Yastrezmski’s turn at bat. Lefty on lefty, natch, and it worked. He also retired the right handed Flores.

But Ruf took him deep, 409 feet deep, to center in the bottom of the eighth, for his second homer, and the Giants’ seventh run, of the game. That gave Ruf five round trippers for the season.

Jake McGee assumed mound duties for SF in the top of the seventh, as did Dominic Leone in the eighth. Camilo Doval closed things out in the ninth.

Junis was the winning pitcher, bringing his record to 4-1, 2.63. Buehler was tagged with the loss. He’s now 6-3, 4,03.

Tomorrow’s first pitch is scheduled for 4:15. It will be a bullpen game for the Giants. Clayton Kershaw (4-0,1.80) will start for Los Angeles.