Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

Rafael Devers designated hitter belts a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday’s game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Los Angeles Dodgers (88-67) scored taking a 1-0 lead. San Francisco (76-79) rallied in the eighth inning scoring three runs taking a 3-1 lead and the eventual win.

Giants starter Trevor McDonald was spotless in his first start and the Giants defense was great. Relief pitching was equally amazing and this was a nice win for San Francisco.

This game was one of those good old-fashioned pitching duels with McDoanld pitching his young heart out. Through six innings he had allowed six hits but no runs and three strikeouts. After six innings this was a scoreless game. The Dodgers Emmet Sheehan gave up one hit and ten strikeouts through seven innings. This had been a great game for both pitchers.

McDonald was relieved in the seventh inning by Spencer Bivens who was spotless with no hits, no runs, and no walks. He was relieved in the eighth inning by Joey Lucchesi.

The Dodgers got busy in the seventh inning with two runners on base, Max Muncy and Andy Pages, with no outs. Los Angeles broke the tie with a run when Michael Conforto singled Muncy home and the Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers were looking for more with two on base and still no outs. San Francisco got out of the inning giving up only the one run and it was on to the eighth inning. This game was moving along at light-speed going through seven innings in under two hours.

In the top of the eighth inning the Giants mounted a rally of their own. Patrick Bailey hit a ground rule double and Christian Koss scored to tie up this game. San Francisco would load the bases with one out and Willy Adames at the plate.

Adames walked and Drew Gilbert scored giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead. The bases remained loaded with one out and Matt Chapman grounded out to shortstop and Bailey scored for a 3-1 San Francisco lead.

The Giants took the 3-1 lead into the ninth inning three outs away from the win. San Francisco did not score in the top of the ninth inning and it would be up to Lucchesi to get the bottom of the ninth inning going in the right direction.

Lucchesi got Max Muncy to struck out and then he was relieved by Ryan Walker who came in to close out this game with the one out. Walker got the big second out and Michael Conforto came to the plate the Dodgers last chance with the two outs. Walker got him to strike out and that was the ball game with the Giants taking game four 3-1 and avoiding the sweep.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Giants wrapped up their four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers under sunny skies. It has hardly been sunny skies for the Giants dropping the first three games of the series and but avoided getting swept in game four.

With six games left in the season and the Giants three games back in the Wild Card the Giants most likely will not be a part of the post-season. The promise they showed a few weeks ago took a nose-dive with some very disappointing games. Its not the way they wanted to end their season.

The Giants will now head home to finish up the season starting with a series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Justin Verlander is the probable pitcher for the Giants. He has a 3-10 win/loss record and a 3.75 ERA. The Cardinals will probably start Michael McGreevy. McGreevy has a 7-3 win/loss record and a 4.08 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:45 PM.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani slugs a home run off of San Francisco reliever Joel Peguero as catcher Patrick Bailey watches in the bottom of the sixth inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Despite a great start for the San Francisco Giants (76-79) taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning, they dropped game three to the Los Angeles Dodgers (88-67) 7-5. The Dodgers gobbled up that lead and by the fourth inning had tied up the game.

They took the lead in the fifth inning and never looked back. The Giants only had a single home run, the Dodgers had four home runs in this game. Shohei Ohtani hit his 53 home run of the season.

Game recap: The Giants got a great start in the first inning scoring four runs. Bryce Eldridge doubled to left driving in three runners, clearing the bases. Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and Willy Adames all scored on the double for a 3-0 lead.

Eldridge would score when Drew Gilbert walked for the fourth run and the Giants had a 4-0 lead. While it was a nice lead it was still very early in the game and we have seen San Francisco go silent after great early innings.

The Dodgers scored a couple of runs in the first inning. Max Muncy homered to right center with Freddie Freeman on base for the two runs. It did not stop there. In the fourth inning Michael Conforto hit a solo home run and the Dodgers trailed the Giants by a single run 4-3. Los Angeles would tie up this game when Freddie Freeman singled Shohei Ohtani home.

The Dodgers hit solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings taking a 6-4 lead. Tommy Edman hit the first one in the fifth and Ohtani hit his 53rd home run of the season in the sixth. Once again the Giants had let a great start slip right through their fingers. After scoring the four run in the first inning they had not scored through the next five innings negating the nice start.

Los Angeles continued to extend their lead scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth taking a 7-4 lead. Teoscar Hernandez singled Mookie Betts home and the Dodgers were rolling.

San Francisco was running out of innings going into the seventh inning. Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning but the Giants needed a whole lot more with only two innings left in the game. They still trailed 7-5. So far both teams had eight hits through seven innings.

The Dodgers took the 7-5 lead into the top of the ninth inning. With the exception of the Devers home run in the seveth inning the Giants offense had gone silent. Devers led off the inning and grounded out.

He was followed by Adames who struck out. Chapman came to the plate, the Giants last hope and lined out. The Dodgers had won the third game of the series 7-5. Los Angeles would be going for a sweep in Sunday’s game four.

Game notes: Saturday night the age-old rivals the Giants and the Dodgers played the third game of their four game series and this one stung as the Giants couldn’t maintain the lead and have now have lost three straight to the Dodgers with game four of the series Sunday.

The Dodgers won the first three games of the series Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Friday was an emotional night for the Dodgers as the incomparable Clayton Kershaw pitched his final regular season game. He left the mound after 5 1/3 innings as the entire stadium recognized his amazing career. The game continued after the ovation and Los Angeles really piled it on in the bottom of the fifth inning taking a 5-2 lead and eventually winning game two 6-3.

Giants starter for Saturday Kai Wei Teng pitched for three innings allowed one hit and two runs with two walks and six strike outs. But it was Joel Peguero the Giants fourth reliever who got touched up pitching 1.2 innings allowing five hits and three runs.

This series will wrap up Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM. Trevor McDonald will take the mound for the Giants. He has a 9.00 ERA. The Dodgers plan on starting Emmet Sheehan. He has a 6-3 win/loss record and a 3.17 ERA.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw tips his cap to the Dodgers Stadium crowd after pitching his last regular season home game against the San Francisco Giants on Fri Sep 19, 2025. Kershaw is retiring after the 2025 post season. (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (76-78) dropped a second game to the Los Angeles Dodgers (87-67) 6-3 mid-way through their four-game series. They had distraction to contend with as the final appearance of Clayton Kershaw was the focus of much of this game.

They did take the early lead but the Dodgers turned the tables on them in the fifth inning, Kershaw’s final inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning Los Angeles hit back-to-back home runs off the bats of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts taking a 5-2 lead.

Game recap: The Giants sent a message in the first at bat in the first inning. Heliot Ramos hit a solo home run to center for 431 feet taking an early 1-0 lead. San Francisco will be looking to add some insurance runs early in the game and put up a lot more hits on the board than last nights one hit. It was a lackluster offensive effort and the Giants have got to get their bats going especially against a team with the lineup that the Dodgers have.

The Mets have already won tonight, the Reds have already won and the Diamondbacks lost to the Phillies by the score of 8-2. This is simply another must win for San Francisco.

The Giants were unable to add any runs in the second inning but the Dodgers did tie up the game in the second off the bat of Miguel Rojas 1-1 who homered to left center. San Francisco broke the tie in the third inning taking the lead back 2-1.

Wilmer Flores singled driving base runner Matt Chapman home from third base and San Francisco already had three hits in this game. Through three innings Kershaw already had four walks but also had four strikeouts. This was of course an extremely emotional game for him and manager Dave Roberts was hoping he could get through five innings.

Kershaw took the mound for the final time in the fifth inning. It all started with a strikeout in 2008 and it ended in the fifth inning this evening striking out Rafael Devers. He was relieved by Edgardo Henriquez but not before a huge ovation at Dodger Stadium erupted and Kershaw received an ovation full of appreciation, respect and love from Dave Roberts, his teammates and everyone in the stadium.

We all got to witness history. To make this inning even more memorable, Otani went on to hit a 3-run home run giving the Dodgers a 4-2 lead. Mookie Betts kept the party going coming to the plate and hitting another home run giving Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.

San Francisco pitcher Robbie Ray exited the game after 5 2/3 innings. He was relieved by Spencer Bivens. The Dodgers roughed him up in the bottom of the fifth inning hitting the back-to-back home runs. That would be it for Ray.

The Dodgers would add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Andy Pages doubled Rojas home from second base giving Los Angeles a 6-2 lead. The Giants had given up back-to-back doubles but finally got out of the inning. Going into the seventh inning San Francisco had a lot of work left to do but were running out of innings.

The Giants would make up a little ground scoring a run in the seventh inning but still trailing 6-3. Chapman singled Willy Adames home from second base. Going into the eighth inning San Francisco needed hits but instead went three and out. They were three outs away from dropping game two of the series.

San Francisco put two runners on base in the ninth inning. Christian Koss singled and Adames walked with one out. Devers struck out and the Giants were down to their last out. Chapman popped out and that was the ball game 6-3 in favor of the Dodgers.

Game notes: Friday evening the Giants lost the Dodgers in game two of their four game series. This is the final series between these two rival teams this season. Friday night’s game also marks the final time the Giants saw Clayton Kershaw on the mound.

Kershaw entered the game with 415 strikeouts with his lowest ERA a sparkling 2.08. Whether you are a Giants fan or a Dodgers fan there is no argument that he is one of the greatest pitchers to ever start for Los Angeles.

He has without doubt made life pretty miserable for the Giants through the years. It is hard to imagine baseball without him but this day comes for all of these guys when they make the difficult decision to leave the game.

He has worn “Dodger Blue” for 18 years so he will go into this game with mixed emotions. He sure has given Dodger fans so much to celebrate and cheer for. For San Francisco starter Robbie Ray 4.2 innings allowed 4.2 innings, five hits, five earned runs, two walks and five strike outs. Kershaw pitched 4.1 innings, four hits, two runs, four walks and six strikeouts.

San Francisco now has some ground to make up if they want to tie this series. Trailing 2-0 in the series has pretty much knocked them out of playoff contention. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM. Kai Wei Teng will take the mound for San Francisco with a 2-4 win/loss record and a 6.41 ERA. The Dodgers will start Tyler Glasnow. He has a 3-3 win/loss record and a 3.06 ERA.

60 starts

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dealing against the San Francisco Giants allowing just one hit. The Giants Patrick Bailey got the only hit for San Francisco at Dodgers Stadium Thu Sep 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It was a good old-fashioned pitchers duel through the first six innings of game one of the four-game series between the San Francisco Giants (76-77) and their rival the Los Angeles Dodgers (86-67) at Dodgers Stadium.

San Francisco only had one hit through six innings in another lackluster game in fact, the Giants would finish the game with only one hit and suffered scoring runs losing 2-1. Giant pitcher Logan Webb went seven innings allowing four hits and one run with five strikeouts. He gave the Giants a chance to win but San Francisco’s lack of offense was the deciding factor.

Game recap: The game was a good old-fashioned pitching duel through the first six innings. It was Los Angeles that broke through for the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Mookie Betts grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop and Ben Rortvedt scored on a Patrick Bailey error for the first run of the game. The Dodgers would score a second run when Freddie Freeman singled Shohei Ohtani home for a 2-0 lead.

San Francisco would finally get up on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. It was a tough inning for Dodger pitcher Michael Kopech who walked the first two batters he faced. With one out Blake Treinen took over on the mound.

Treinen walked Heliot Ramos to load the bases. Treinen walked Rafael Devers for the Giants first run of the game. He struck out the next two Giant batter, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman.

With the score 2-1 in favor of the Dodgers, Los Angeles closed out this game. The Giants went three and out in the eighth inning and pretty much the same in the ninth with another three and out inning and that was the ball game.

Los Angeles had won game one 2-1 and now the Giants had fallen four games behind the Mets for the third wild card. San Francisco had only one hit in this game and the one run.

It was another great game for Shohei Ohtani with two huge hits. Yamamoto and the Dodger bullpen combined on the one-hitter. Ohhtani had a couple of doubles that bounced off the wall en-route to the win. He also scored one run. The Dodgers have now won eight of their last 11 matchups. They have had their struggles on the mound though with 23 walks in the first four games of this current home-stand.

Starting pitcher for San Francisco Logan Webb went seven innings allowing four hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts. Patrick Bailey was the only Giant with a hit. With this loss the Giants are now three games behind the Mets with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds ahead of San Francisco.

Game notes: The Giants lost to the Dodgers in game one of their four-game series. The Giants are three games back of third for a wild card spot and unfortunately couldn’t take advantage as the Mets beat the Padres Thursday night and lost a full game.

A Giants win would have keep them in stride with New York. There are only nine games left in the season so this was another missed opportunity for San Francisco.

Giants starter Logan Webb pitched will enough to win but just didn’t get the run support. Webb going seven innings allowing four hits and one run.

Friday night the Giants will face the Dodgers in game two of their series. In Thursday’s game Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement at the end of the season. He will take the mound Thursday in his final regular season home start.

The Giants will have Robbie Ray starting with a 11-7 win/loss record and a 3.50 ERA. Kershaw has a 12-2 win/loss record and a 3.53 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM.

San Francisco Giants starter Kei Wei Teng is the starting pitcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Mon Sep 15, 2025 at Chase Field in Phoenix (MLB.com photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 The San Francisco Giants was in the top three for the NL Wild Card after losing both Saturday and Sunday to their rival Los Angeles Dodgers dropped down to 1.5 back for the last Wild Card spot.

#2 The Giants claim their not scoreboard watching but it’s hard to ignore what the New York Mets are doing. The Mets who had lost eight in a row snapped their losing skid and defeated the Texas Rangers on Sunday taking advantage of the Giants loss on Sunday moving up a half game in the NL Wild Card.

#3 The trouble for the Giants started on Saturday when starting pitcher Logan Webb was lit up for six runs and ten hits in a six run fifth inning that started the Giants slide.

#4 Sunday the Giants Robbie Ray left some pitches up and also missed some pitches going four innings allowing five runs and six hits walking four and striking out five in a 10-2 loss to the Dodgers.

#5 Giants will try and make up some ground as they continue to chase the Mets in the NL Wild Card. The Giants open up a series with the Arizona Diamondback at Chase Field. Starting pitcher for the Giants RHP Kei Wei Teng (2-4 ERA 7.54) for the Diamondbacks RHP Zach Gallen (11-14 ERA 4.84) 6:40pm PT on Monday night.

Join Marko for the Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb got lit up for six runs on ten hits by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sat Sep 13, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

SF Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani hit his 49th home run, and Teoscar Hernandez hit a two run double as the Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 13-7 win on Saturday night.

#2 The Giants Logan Webb got lit up Webb had been going well but every so often no matter how many starts you make you can get lit up.

#3 Scary moment was when the Dodgers Max Muncy was hit in the right flap by a pitch from the Giants pitcher Matt Gage in the top of the sixth. Muncy stayed in the ball game.

#4 The Dodgers made a come back after being down 4-1 and in the sixth it was for keeps. The Giants with the loss slip to a half game out behind the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card.

#5 Take a look at the starting pitchers for Sunday’s contest for the Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-3 ERA 3.21) for the Giants LHP Robbie Ray (11-6, ERA 3.32) first pitch slated at 1:05pm PT

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb, center, hands the ball over to manager Bob Melvin, left, as he exits during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)

By Lincoln Juarez

SAN FRANCISCO – The Los Angeles Dodger offense powered LA past the San Francisco Giants 13-7 to play spoiler on a night the Giants could’ve earned a playoff spot. Webb nor Kershaw had their stuff Saturday night as both offenses ruptured.

Saturday evening at Oracle Park in front of another sell-out crowd the Giants took the field, this time with a chance to pass the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Standings and take sole possession of the final spot. 

Logan Webb (14-9, 3.12) was set to face Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 3.27) in what was supposed to be another great pitching matchup, instead we saw the opposite. 

In the top of the first, Shohei Ohtani led off the game with a groundball single just deep enough into the 5-6 hole for Adames to not even try making a throw after fielding it. Mookie Betts was next and he hit a soft ground ball back to Webb, whose only play was to first base, advancing Ohtani to scoring position. 

The Dodgers got on the board the next at-bat when Freddie Freeman singled down the left field line. Ohtani came around to score as Freddie Freeman tested his luck trying to turn his base-hit into a double. Heliot Ramos nailed Freeman at second for the second out of the inning, but only after the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead. Webb got Max Muncy to ground out to Casey Schmitt at second to end the top of the first. 

The theme of this Giants run they’ve gone on has been responding in the next half inning after the opposing team scores. Saturday night they put up four runs in the home first after trailing 1-0, two of which came before Clayton Kershaw could record an out. Adames, Chapman, Encarnacion, and Matos picked up rbi’s and all nine Giants in the order got an at-bat in the bottom of the first. 

The Dodgers opened up the top of the second with three straight singles loading the bases for Miguel Rojas. Tensions rose in the ballpark as Rojas stepped in. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat Webb got Rojas to pop one up to Casey Schmitt for the first out. The bases remained loaded for Dodger catcher Ben Rortvedt who grounded into an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play. Logan Webb pumped his fist after finishing the play at first base and keeping the momentum on their side. 

After that there wasn’t much that went the Giants’ way. The Dodgers scored two runs off of Webb on Ohtani’s 49th home run of the season and a Teoscar Hernandez rbi-double which made it 4-3 Giants. 

San Francisco bumped Clayton Kershaw out of the game after three innings. He threw 67 pitches while allowing four earned runs on five hits. Edgardo Henriquez relieved Kershaw of his duties and struck out the Giants in order in the fourth. 

Mookie Betts led off the fifth inning with a walk and Freddie Freeman followed with a single. Webb walked Max Muncy who was the last hitter he faced. 

Webb totaled 4ip, 10h, 6er, 2bb, and 5k and dropped his record to 14-10. 

Jose Butto entered with the bases loaded and nobody out. Teoscar Hernandez doubled on the fourth pitch Butto threw, scoring two to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. The next batter, Michael Conforto hit a sac-fly to right field, scoring Max Muncy and the Dodgers had a 6-4 lead. Later in the inning Ben Rortvedt doubled home two more and Mookie Betts singled him home to finish off a six-run fifth inning for LA. 

San Francisco scored three in the home half of the fifth but it wouldn’t be enough as the Dodgers went right back into attack mode getting those three runs back in the top of the sixth. 

Shohei Ohtani came around to score in the ninth making it 13-7 Dodgers. It was his 134th run scored of the season, matching the Dodger record he set just last season. 

13-7 was the final score Saturday night in a game where the Giants could’ve made their way into the final NL Wild Card spot. Should the Mets lose again on Sunday, the Giants could have another chance to pass them in the Wild Card standings. 

RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 3.21) will face LHP Robbie Ray (11-6, 3.32) in the rubber match of this three game series at Oracle Park Sunday afternoon. 

First pitch at 1:05pm.