Photo: Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee rips an RBI single against Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning of a game on April 21, 2026. Photo by Jay Choi/SF Bay News Lab.

By Vince Cestone

SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Dodgers–the heavy favorites to win the NL West, coming into San Francisco at 16-6–they’re going to beat the lowly 9-13 San Francisco Giants, right?

Not so fast, as the Giants surrendered just one run and had just enough offense to beat the powerful Dodgers 3-1. The Dodgers had come into the game averaging six runs per game to start the season, but starting pitcher Landon Roupp and the bullpen held the Dodgers to just three hits in the game.

The Giants’ offense started hot right from the get-go. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendered three runs to the Giants in the very first inning. After Willy Adames started the game with a ground ball to the shortstop Hyeseong Kim, Kim airmailed the ball into the dugout, putting Adames at second with nobody out. Adames was given an infield hit on the play, advancing to second on the throwing error.

After the next batter Luis Arraez singled and then Matt Chapman walked, Rafael Devers poked a single into right-center field to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Casey Schmitt followed with a sacrifice fly to shallow left-center field, where outfielders Alex Call and Teoscar Hernandez collided, allowing Arraez to score. Jung Hoo Lee then singled home Chapman, to give the Giants a 3-0 lead, which would prove to be more than enough to give the Giants the win.

Despite walking four batters in the fourth inning, Roupp pitched out of trouble when Alex Call hit into a 5-4-3 double pay with the bases loaded and one out. The only run the Dodgers scored in the game was a walk by Kim. Roupp ended the night going five innings, giving up just one run on one hit but escaped through five walks. He struck out seven batters.

The Giants bullpen took it from there pitching four scoreless innings. Reliever Ryan Walker, who blew a save against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Walker had two strikeouts.

Shohei Ohtani, who went 1-for-4 in the game with two strikeouts, was left on deck as the potential tying run. Ohtani has now reached base 53 straight games, tying him for the longest streak in Los Angeles Dodgers history. Former Dodger Shawn Green had the previous 53-game streak.

Unfortunately for the Giants, outfielder Jung Hoo Lee got injured in the sixth inning when he tried to score from first on a base hit by Heliot Ramos. Lee appeared to try to take advantage of a slow relay from the Dodgers defense, but he was thrown out by plenty at home. Jerar Encarnacion replaced Lee in right field in the top of the eighth inning. The Giants have not yet said what his injury was.

Up next, the Giants will try to win the series against the Dodgers on Wednesday night. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 0.50 ERA) will oppose Tyler Mahle (0-3, 7.23 ERA) at 6:45 p.m. at Oracle Park.

The Giants are now 10-13, and a series win against their heated rival would do wonders for their confidence as they try to climb over .500.