San Francisco Giant Dominic Smith gives praise to the almighty after hitting a bottom of the fifth inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri July 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO. Calif. — The San Francisco Giants (52-43) handed the slumping defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers (56-39) their seventh straight loss 8-7, in front of a raucous sellout (40,785) crowd at Oracle Park on Friday night.

It was an electric atmosphere on the corners of 3rd and King.  Mostly for the Japanese Sensation and 2024 MVP Shohei Othtani.  Although his team took another L, the fans did get their money’s worth with his moderate performance.

The Dodgers did get on base right away, as Ohtani walked as the initial batter of the game.  However, he nor the rest of the Dodgers did not cross the plate in the top of the first.

The Giants, on the other hand, did change the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning when shortstop Willy Adames belted a solo home run.  The home team was on top 1-0 after two frames.

However, immediately in the top of the third inning, the aforementioned Ohtani blasted a two run homer into the vaunted McCovey Cove amidst the gasping crowd.  Los Angeles moved in front, 2-1.  Infielder Hyeseong Kim also scored on the dinger.  There was definitely a Buzz all throughout the ballpark.

The Giants responded in their half of the fourth inning, when center fielder Jung Hoo Lee hit a two run triple.  That feat scored Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman.  The Giants retook the lead 3-2 at that point, but unfortunately Lee was tagged out at the plate on a bang-bang play by left fielder Michael Conforto.  That momentarily stopped the bleeding.

The bottom of the fifth inning was a pinnacle moment in the contest.  The Giants scored five runs in that inning, and seemingly put the game out of reach for the struggling ball team from Southern California.  The Giants used a multitude of ways to cross home plate in the fifth.

First baseman Dominic Smith hit a deep homer to left-center, putting his team up by two, 4-2.   Next, Chapman got a fielder;s choice RBI, plating catcher Patrick Bailey.  Then Adames slapped a two-run triple to center field, allowing Chapman and Mike Yastrzemski to score.  Finally, Lee’s single knocked in Adames, culminating the five run fifth inning explosion.  San Francisco led 8-2 after the midpoint No Cal/So Cal Battle.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion, despite them limping into the Bay Area.  LA managed to cut the six run deficit to two, after a four-run sixth.  Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run double, pushing in Lee and Mookie Betts.  Michael Conforto blasted a two run homer, bringing in Hernandez, along with himself.

There was worry in Downtown San Francisco, and that was even more exacerbated in the top of the seventh block,  Will Smith cracked a single, scoring Betts, and placing the Dodgers one run behind the recently scoreless Giants.

In the top of the ninth inning, the guests from the South had two men on base and the opportunity to tie or take the lead,  Oracle was a very intense environment for the competitive moment in time for the California rivals of today, and NYC rivals nearly 70 years ago.

The moment of truth was when reliever Camiio Doval forced the Dodgers to hit into a game-saving 5-4-3 double-play, extending the Dodgers losing streak to seven.  Doval notched his 15th save of the season, while Logan Webb got the win (9-6).  The Giants prevailed by one, 8-7.

The two teams will be right back at it Saturday Afternoon, July 12 at 1:05 PM PT, with the multifaceted RHP Shohei Ohtani (0-0, ERA 1.50) on the mound for the Dodgers, and RHP Landon Roupp (6-5,ERA 3.39) on the bump for the Giants.