San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Wood, middle, hands the ball over to manager Gabe Kapler, left, as he exits during the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Apr 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles. 000 000 000 – 0 3 0

San Francisco 200 000 03x – 5 7 1

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 30,768

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Hoping to reverse their dismal start that left them 4-6 for the nascent 2023 season, San Francisco’s Gentle Giants sent southpaw Alex Wood to the mound against their long-time arch rival Los Angeles Dodgers this evening.

Wood, who brought a record of 0-0, 3.00 with him, could boast of the second best ERA in San Francisco’s starting rotation, trailing only the other Alex on the front five, Cobb. Wood was up against a formidable opponent. Dustin May pitched 18-1/3 innings in spring training this year, going 5-4, 2,95 with 20 strike outs.

Between opening day and game time, the 25 year old righty had started two games, winning one, and compiled an ERA 0.69 over 13 frames.

When hostilities ceased (if you can ssay that about a Giants-Dodgers game), the Giants had burst open a close glame with a three run eighth inniing to defeat the visitors, 5-0, in a combined three hitter.

May’s impressive showings this year didn’t keep the Giants from jumping on him for an early 2-0 lead. Back to back walks to LaMonte Wade, Jr. and Michael Conforto set the stage for a productive ground out to third by JD Davis that moved both runners up 90 feet.

Joc Pederson’s resounding double to right brought both of them home. Wood held the Dodgers at Bay forr 4-2/3 innings, but his control wavered in the top of the fifth. Walks to James Outman and Mookie Betts allowed right handed number three batter Will Smith to come to the plate.

SF needed a right handed pitcher to counter him. Enter Jakob Junis. Outman launched a tremendous drive to deep right field, sending Conforto to the back of the warning track to haul in the blast. Wood had thrown 75 pitches during his tenure; 42 of them considered strikes.

No runs were scored against him, and he surrendered but one hit. He walked three batters and hit another two. Wood’s performance brought his ERA down to 1,17.

Junis had escaped by the skin of his teeth in the fifth. He had enough trouble in the sixth to require his replacement by Scott Alexander. Junis issued a leadoff single to center off the bat of JD Martíhez, followed by a Texas League single to right by Trayce Thompson.

Miguel Vargas stuffed the sacks with Dodgers when a catcher’s interference error was called on Blake Sabol, who still is learning that position. Alexander pulled a Houdini, getting a force 0ut at home on Outman’s nubber in front of the plate and fanning Miguel Rojas.

May was removed prophylatically after retiring Davis, the Giants’ leadoff batter in their half of the sixth, yielding to Caleb Ferguson, who closed out the frame, giving up[ a harmless single to Mike Yastrzemski.

It was the on again, off again John Brebbia on the hill for SF in the top of the seventh, facing the top of the Angelino order. He held them scoreless in spite of a leadoff walk to Betts.

Shelby Miller hopped on the reief merry-go-round after the seventh inning stretch. He managed to retire a couple of Giants but also surrendered a single too Sabol, who stole second, and a two out wak to Wade.

So it was Briusdar Graterol who walked Conforto to clog the basepaths FOG, Full of Goats. He also got Davis to ground out to second to end the inning.

Submariner Tyler Rogers came on to torpedo the Dodgers in the eighthh on, setting them down in order on 15 pitches (11 strikes).

Another inning, another pitcher. Evan Phillips on the mound for Los Angeles. With one down, Yastremzski whacked a two bagger into the right field corner and trotted home on Villar’s booming round tripper 403 into right field that left his bat at 102.9 mph. Not to be out done, Crawford sent a splash hit 366 feet into McCovey Cove off of a 93.7 mph cutter. In the twinkling of an eye, San Francisco was ahead, 5-0. Sabol’s and Johnson’s striking out was anticlimactic.

Camilo Duval, with a little help from a great play at second by Thairo Estrada, who entered the game in the top of the eight, closed the book on LA, allowing only a walk in the ninth.

Alexander got the win; May, the loss.

It will be the mighty Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 3.75) will start for the Dodgers against the formidable Alex Cobb (0-1, 2.53) for the Giants Wednesday, evening at 6:45.