Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The Ultimate Baseball Face-off – Dusty Baker vs Tony LaRussa

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Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (left) and Chicago White Sox manager Tony LaRussa meet at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Thu Oct 7, 2021 for game 1 of the ALDS (file photo NBC Sports)

The Ultimate Baseball Face-off – Dusty Baker vs Tony LaRussa

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The American League Divisional Series is an attractive one. Two of the best hitting teams in all of baseball with very good pitching also. Manager Dusty Baker of the AL Western Division Champion Houston Astros, who will host Tony La Russa Manager of the Chicago White Sox Champion of the AL Central Division. Two excellent managers, who both return to the show after a few years of “unemployment”.

The two managers cut their teeth here in the Bay Area, Tony (The Hall of Famer) with the Athletics and Dusty (The Players Manager) with the Giants, they are two “old school” managers, not necessarily going by today’s super hyper stats of high-velocity pitches and hits, infield shifts, launch angle and all the other stuff which some media and fans overdose these days. Both not afraid of using the bunt, sacrifice, or as well as the hit and run or ‘run and hit’ and very much manage with their guts in-game situation.

Tony LaRussa is the active manager with the most wins ever 2,821, which places him second all-time behind the legendary owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack who won a total of 3,731 baseball games.

Dusty Baker occupies No.12 in the all-time managers in wins with 1,987. Having covered both managers and traveled with them, there is a rivalry between both, the two oldest managers in baseball this season, Tony 77, Dusty 72.

They both speak conversational Spanish. In the 1980’s I recorded “El Show de Tony LaRussa” which was a three minute inside pregame show for radio. Tony would talk about the previous game with his take as a manager. With Dusty, many times I interviewed him including in the late 1990s when he was managing the Giants including 2002 when he won the National League Pennant and lost the World Series to the LA Angels.

This American League Divisional Series begins this Thursday, October 7 at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, who finished the season with 95-67 winning the West, while the Chicago White Sox ended with 93-69. This is the best-of-5 and Houston owns home-field advantage. Prediction: It will be a 5 game series. Houston is a much experienced postseason-proven team than Chicago. They didn’t clinch until the last week of the regular season.

Chicago White Sox won the Central Division (the weakest in baseball, second-place Cleveland Indians finished 13 games from Chicago). The Sox had their share of injuries, but they were never really challenged, they are a dynamic and mostly young ball club, which many critics believe (before the season) that LaRussa would be “too old” to win with this young group of players, but he proved those guys wrong and here is another Tony LaRussa team in the postseason.

Some great hitters for Houston in the series: José Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Yuliesky Gurriel, who just won the league batting title with a .319 average, which today is the equivalent of hitting .340 decades ago, a breakthrough year for Kyle Tucker who was a First Round pick in the 2015 Draft, for the Astros and ended this season with his best numbers at 24 years of age, hit .294 with 30 home runs and 92 RBI. Their rotation is solid and a good bullpen to complete the game.

The Chicago White Sox can swing it with anybody. Tim Anderson, José Abreu, Yoán Moncada, Luis Robert, César Hernández, Eloy Jiménez, Yasmani Grandal, some of the names that can hit and hit for power. A very good pitching staff with Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, and a very strong bullpen with Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendricks to close the game.

I give the edge to Houston in 5 games, but if Chicago wins, they have the potential to run the table and go all the way and win the World Series.

About the Wild Card game: (Note) I never liked the Wild Card game, just one game to decide a season. The LA Dodgers won 106 games this year and finished second. The first team ever to finish with 106 wins and not win their division. The Dodgers play the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Oct 6.

The winner advances, the other team goes home. Just image winning 106 games and getting eliminated in the first round of the postseason? Something is not right here. This is not the NFL. Solution? Wild Card should be the best of 3 games. Just reduce the season to 152 games instead of 162 to even the whole year schedule, so the World Series doesn’t end by Thanksgiving Day. Who really likes the ‘due or die games’? Fans and especially, television, who usually score very good ratings.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez call post season baseball on CBS Spanish radio and reported for Telemundo TV and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Dodgers are slight favorite over Cardinals; Red Sox are favorites over Yankees

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St Louis starter Adam Wainwright tips his cap to the crowd while being interviewed after pitching in the clinching game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tue Sep 28, 2021 at Busch Stadium in St Louis. Wainwright will be the Cardinals starting pitcher against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLWC game at Dodgers Stadium Los Angeles Wed Oct 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s commentary:

#1 After the St Louis Cardinals won 17 of 18 before losing two in a row to end season does the Cards odds look the best amongst the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming NL Wild Card game on Wednesday?

#2 The Dodgers in their own right finished off the season winning seven straight and during that time got some excellent pitching from pitcher Julio Urias who finished the season winning 20 games going 20-3 ERA 2.96.

#3 With someone of the likes of Urias and a potent Dodgers starting rotation in the regular season Urias puts the Dodgers in a pretty good position if they can get past the Cardinals and reach a Division Series.

#4 In the American League Wild Card series talk about tonight’s game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park for the Wild Card. Starting for the Yankees Gerrit Cole and for the Sox Nathan Eovaldi two right handers in a game that could advance the winner to the Division Series. Oddsmakers have the Red Sox as the ALWC winner.

#5 Going back to the Cardinals and Dodgers Wild Card starting pitcher for St Louis Adam Wainwright against Max Scherzer for Los Angeles a 5:10 pm first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The oddsmakers have the Dodgers as 1.5 run favorites.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez gives his analysis of the MLB post season teams throughout the playoffs at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Charlie O: Giants will miss Belt’s bat for NLDS; SF’s photo finish to division title

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San Francisco Giants Brandon Belt swings for a single against the Colorado Rockies on Sep 25, 2021 the next day he broke his thumb on a bunt at Coors Field. Belt will be out for most of the post season and could be eligible for the World Series. (AP News file photo)

On the Giants podcast with Charlie O for Morris Phillips:

#1 Charlie no breathers for either the San Francisco Giants () or the Los Angeles Dodgers () both teams who got to the finish line, both team who made post season but one team won the division by a photo finish.

#2 The Dodgers series with the Atlanta Braves was no picnic, the Dodgers were on a six game win streak before the start of Sunday’s game but still remained two games behind the Giants in the NL West standings.

#3 Charlie, will the absence of Brandon Belt make a huge impact going into post season and going a club like the Dodgers or the St Louis Cardinals.

#4 The Giants got some crucial pitching out of their starters this season Johnny Cueto, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, Logan Webb and Kevin Gausman.

#5 How did players like Tommy LaStella, LaMonte Webb Jr, and Donavon Solano make a difference in the mix to win 107 games.

Charlie O is filling in for Morris Phillips for the Giants podcasts heard on Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants crowned NL West Champs, Dodgers streak of division titles end at 8; SF picks up 107th victory over SD 11-4

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The San Francisco Giants celebrate their 2021 Western Division Championship clinch at Oracle Park in San Francisco vs. the visiting San Diego Padres on Sun Oct 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

San Diego 4 – 7 – 0

San Francisco 11- 10-0

By Lewis Rubman

October Sunday, October 3

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s over. The Giants are the champions of the National League’s Western Division. They trounced the Padres 11-4 behind the brilliant pitching and hitting (yes, hitting!) of Logan Webb. There will be no tie-breaker tomorrow. The Giants won’t have to face the Cardinals in a wild card game, and they will have the home field advantage for as long as they last in the postseason..

This afternoon’s game against San Diego opened auspiciously for the Giants. It took Webb, who brought a record of 10-3, 2.93 with him to the mound, a mere 14 pitches to strike out Trent Grisham, Fernando Tatís, Jr., and Manny Machado. He pitched two more innings without allowing a base runner.

Webb’s counterpart for the Padres, rookie Reiss Knehr (1-1, 4.85 at game time) pitched well, but not as commandingly as Webb, for two innings but ran into trouble in the third. With one man out, he gave up an improbable single to Webb, who advanced to second on a wild pitch to Tommy Lastella, whose subsequent fly to center resulted in the second out of the frame.

Wilmer Flores singled to center, sending Webb to third, and advanced to second on Grisham’s throw. A walk to LaMonte Wade, Jr., loaded the bases with Giants. Buster Posey’s single to left drove in Webb and Flores. Only an impressive diving catch of Brandon Crawford’s sinking line drive to right center prevented San Francisco from opening up a bigger lead.

The Padres countered with a lead off double by Grisham. He held his ground at second while Longoria threw Tatís out at first and then broke for third and made it safely. Maldonado plated him with a sacrifice fly to center that brought the Pads to within a run of the Giants.

Dinelson Lamet took over for Knehr in the bottom of the fourth. The Padres’ starter had given up two runs, both earned, on three hits, two walks, and a wild pitch in three innings, during which he threw 45 pitches, 28 for strikes. Lamet walked the first two batters he faced, Bryant and Yastrzemski, but got Longoria on a called third strike .

The brought Webb to the plate. After showing bunt on Lamet’s first delivery and almost getting hit by a pitch that bounced off his bat into foul territory, San Francisco’s new found offensive threat walked on a full count to clog the base paths. They stayed clogged after Lastella’s RBI single to right, each runner moving up a station.

That was it for Lamet, who threw 30 pitches in a third of an inning, gave up on run and one hit, and was responsible for the three men who were on base when Craig Stammen relieved him. Two of them scored on Wilmer Flores’s double to left put San Francisco up, 5-1. The third score sac fly to left that advanced Flores to third with two out.

Buster Posey quickly brought him home with a single to center. When the ninth Giant batter of the inning, Brandon Crawford, struck out swinging, the scoreboard read San Diego 1, San Francisco 7.

San Diego crept towards a comeback in the fifth. Adam Frazier sliced a one out double to left. Jake Marisnick took an 81 mph slider in the ribs. Webb then retired Rivas on a fly to right and struck out a pinch hitting Tommy Pham

Nabil Crismatt pitched the fifth frame for the Padres. He got through his first three batters, yielding only a walk to the first, Bryant. But he didn’t reckon with Wonder Worker Webb, who blasted. Crismatt’s second pitch, an 83 mph change up, 368 feet into the left field bleachers. Need I say that this was his maiden round trip voyage?

The orange and black continued to pile it on. They opened the seventh, still facing Crismatt, with back to back singles by Crawford and Bryant, both of whom Yastrzemski brought home with a ringing double to center, fluffing up the Giants cushion to 11-1. After Longoria struck out, Logan received a standing ovation and then struck out, his only unsuccessful plate appearance of the day.

It was clear in the top of the eighth that Webb was tired. He yielded consecutive singles to Marisnik, Rivas, and pinch hitter Victor Caratini that producd San Diego’s second tally. That was it for Webb on the mound, and Kervin Castro took over. He allowed an RBI single to Grisham, scoring Rivas. Profar struck out, but Ha-Seong KIm and Cronenworth drove in Caratini with a sinking sacrifce fly to left.

After Castro walked Myers, Jarlín García relieved him. Webb had thrown 88 pitches, 63 for strikes. He was charged with four runs, but two of them crossed the plate while Castro was on the mound. Webb struck out eight Padres and didn’t walk anyone. Castro gave up two walks and a hit in his ineffective two-thirds of an inning on the mound.

James Norwood set the Giants down in order in the eighth, setting the stage for Dominic Leone to come in to close the Pads down in their last half inning.

To chants of “Beat LA,” Leone got Marisnick to ground out to Crawford. Then he struck Rivas out swinging. All that stood between the Giants and undisputed possession of first place was the pinch hitting Eric Hosmer. He went down swinging.

It was Logan’s day, and he got the win. The loss went to Knehr.

On Friday, the winner of the NL wild card game between Los Angeles and St. Louis will come to Oracle Park to face the NL West Champion San Francisco Giants in the first game of the NLDS.

Giants drop crucial game 3 to Padres 7-6 in 10th inning stay one game above Dodgers

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San Diego Padres Victor Caratini (17) gets congratulations with Fernando Tatis Jr after Tatis scores on an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Wed Sep 22, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants lost 7-6 to the San Diego Padres in extra innings at Petco Park on Thursday afternoon.

They blew their chance to sweep San Diego and saw their lead atop the NL West narrow to one game as the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat their opponent on the same day.

The Giants rallied from a couple of deficits but lost on a walk-off infield single from Victor Caratini against Padres right-handed pitcher Dominic Leone.

The Padres scored four times in the first inning off Giants starter Logan Webb. With the bases loaded, Jurickson Profar was hit by a pitch. Trent Grisham hit a sacrifice fly to bring San Diego’s lead up to 2-0. Ha-Seong Kim and Caratini had RBI singles to put the Padres up 4-0.

In the second inning, Mike Yastrzemski hit a home run on a fly ball to right field and LaMonte Wade scored to cut the Padres’ lead to 4-2.

Austin Slater hit a home run on a line drive to left field in the sixth inning and Tommy La Stella and Brandon Belt scored, putting the Giants up 5-4.

But Trent Grisham homered on a fly ball to right field to tie the game and Ha-Seong Kim hit a home run to center field to help San Diego regain a 6-5 lead.

In the seventh inning, La Stella doubled on a line drive to center field and Wilmer Flores scored, tying the game again at 6-6.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers won 7-5 in 10 innings against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

When Slater hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, the Giants could see on the out-of-town scoreboard that the Rockies were one out away from beating the Dodgers.

“Our focus was solely on this game, this is a good team across the other side of the field,” Slater said. “But they flash the scores and it’s hard to miss sometimes. You’re aware of it.”

Only nine games are left on the Giants’ schedule and they will finish the regular season facing the Padres again for a three-game series at home.

The Giants (99-54) are just one game ahead of the Dodgers (98-55), meaning the Padres will have a defining role in deciding that fierce division race.

San Francisco starts a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday. First pitch is at 5:10 p.m.

—

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Bullpen keeping Giants in the slim hunt with Dodgers in NL West race

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Dominic Leone has done a bang up job as a starter and reliever in helping the Giants in their pennant drive (file photo KNBR)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael talk about Dominic Leone he’s been pitching in the starting role and a reliever he’s 3-4 ERA 1.69 and has been lights out.

#2 Over the last three outings for Leone he’s pitched against the Atlanta Braves twice and the San Diego Padres once and has shut them out each of the one inning appearances he’s made and giving up only one hit.

#3 Michael talk about that crucial sixth and seventh innings last night in San Diego. Where the Giants scored two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh as they won by two runs 8-6 every run and every win counts these days.

#4 Michael, talk about the bullpen strength how they’ve been closing down games in late innings and managing to keep the Giants heads above water and the surging Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

#5 Giants conclude their three game series with the Padres today the Giants will start Logan Webb (10-3 ERA 2.79) and for the Padres Yu Darvish (8-10 ERA 4.13) a 1:10 PM PDT

Join Michael for the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Giants nothing but success in Chicago; Host Padres Magic number is 1 can clinch tonight

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt sports a taped C for Captain on his jersey which he talked about on the NBC Bay Area post game show Sat Sep 11, 2021 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs (photo from nbcsports.com)

On Giants podcast with Marko:

#1 For the Giants (93-50) Kris Bryant it was a memorable and emotional return to Chicago (65-79) for him seeing his old teammates, friends, and yes a few Wrigley Field neighbors as the Cubs ran a video tribute in his honor before the game last Friday.

#2 Brandon Belt has certainly earned the C on his Giants road jersey he’s led by example hitting the home run ball with much frequency and has 23 for the season so far hitting .258. He had black electrical tape to his jersey as a C he certainly has earned the honor.

#3 Wilmer Flores returned on Sunday to the Giants after suffering a left hamstring injury. Flores had been used as a pinch hitter and was in the line up against left handed pitching. Giants manager Gabe Kapler is looking forward to getting productive help from Flores.

#4 Giants pitcher Jay Jackson who pitched an opener for the Giants and got rocked in the first inning on Sep 4th for four runs and a hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers was sent down to the Giants triple A Sacramento. Jackson was 2-1 with an ERA of 4.34.

#5 Giants lead in the NL West by 2.5 games over the Dodgers and open a three game series at Oracle Park in San Francisco against the San Diego Padres (74-67) the Padres have been .500 ball while the Giants have won nine of their last 11 games. The Giants still have to be cautious playing a club like the Padres they’ve got some talent.

Marko Ukalovic is filling for Morris Phillips for the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Buehler was off on this day in Giants 6-4 victory

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buhler looks in a state of shock as he walks off the field after the third inning giving up six runs to the San Francisco Giants in the first three innings at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Sep 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-If you were told prior to the game that the San Francisco Giants would beat a pitcher that was 7-0 in his career against them, you would think no way.

Brandon Belt hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, helping the Giants to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and regained the lead in the National League West by one game before a sellout crowd of 41,155 at Oracle Park.

Yes, entering the game, Walker Buehler was 7-0 with a 1.83 earned run average in 12 games (10 of them starts); however, now he is 7-1 against the Dodgers longtime rival.

Buehler lasted just three innings, allowing six runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out one and saw his record fall to 13-4 on the season.

After the Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Dodgers immediately tied it up in the top of the second inning, when Will Smith singled to centerfield to allow Justin Turner to score from second base. Turner led off the inning by singling off of Jose Alvarez.

Dominic Leone started the bullpen game, for the Giants and retired the Dodgers in order in the top of the first inning before giving way to Alvarez, who did not get a batter out and gave up one run and one hit before he was replaced by Zack Littell, who pitched one inning, striking out one to pick up his second win of the season.

Buehler immediately gave the Giants the lead back in the bottom of the second inning, as he walked Brandon Crawford to lead off the inning, then Mike Yastrzemski doubled Crawford to third and the Giants took the lead for good, when Steven Duggar tripled down the right field line to score both Crawford and Yastrzemski.

Darin Ruf came off the bench to pinch hit for Littell, who got out of the jam in the top of the second and Ruf singled to left field off of Buehler to score Duggar from third base.

Crawford got in on the RBI act in the bottom of the third inning, as he doubled in LaMonte Wade, Jr., who doubled just in front of Crawford and after Yastrzemski lined out to Corey Seager at second base for the second out of the inning, Curt Casali singled for his first hit of the game to score Crawford from second base.

This bullpen game, fared better for the Giants, as Jay Jackson, Carlos Quintana, Camilo Doval, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee closed it out for the Giants, as they moved back into the lead in the NL West with 25 games remaining in the regular season.

The Giants had an ample opportunity to break the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they got the first two runners on and would eventually load the bases with one out; however, David Price was able to work out of jam, as he got Thairo Estrada to pop out to Max Muncy for the second out of the inning and ended the inning, when he was able to get Belt to ground out to Muncy.

McGee was far from perfect to start the top of the ninth inning, as Kris Bryant committed a throwing error on a ball hit by pinch hitter Austin Barnes, when Belt could not keep his foot on the bag at first base.

Albert Pujols then came off the bench to hit for Andrew Vasquez, and on a 1-0 pitch launched his 16th home run of the season into the left center field bleachers and it was the 678th home run of his career.

After the Pujols home run that got the Dodgers within two, McGee was able to get Trea Turner to pop out to Thairo Estrada at second base; however, Muncy singled to left-center field to bring the tying run in the person of Mookie Betts to the plate and McGee struck him out looking for the second out of the inning.

Of course, a game between the Giants and Dodgers could not end in a normal way, as Yastrzemski made a sensational catch on by ball hit by Justin Turner down the right field wall near into the netting down the right field line and the play went to review and the play was upheld, giving the Giants the win and sending the fans wearing orange and black into a frenzy.

NOTES: Doval was recalled from Sacramento, while Sammy Long was optioned to Sacramento. Also, Austin Slater was placed on the seven-day concussion IL and Duggar was recalled from Sacramento and went 1-for-4 with the game-winning hit, when he hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the second inning.

With the win, the Giants won the season series 10-9 and this was the 99th win by the Giants over the Dodgers at Oracle Park since the park opened on April 11, 2000.

Belts home run was the 202nd of the season for the team, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays, who have hit a MLB leading 206 home runs.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will take the mound on Monday afternoon, when the Giants open up a two-city, six-game road trip to Colorado and Chicago and Gausman will be looking for his 13th win of the season. Kyle Freeland will go for the Rockies, as he looks for his sixth win of the season.

Max Scherzer will go to the mound in search of his 13th win for the Dodgers on Monday, as they continue their two-city, seven-game road trip with an afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium and the Cardinals will send Milos Mikolas to the hill, as he looks for his first win of the season.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Urias wins 16th, Turner goes deep for LA 6-1 win; SF’s Jackson can’t even get out of first inning as opener

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San Francisco Giants starter Jay Jackson gives up the baseball in the first inning after surrendering three runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jackson also picked up the loss he was the opener and didn’t even get out of the top of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Sep 4, 2021 (photo by Bay Area News Group)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Trea Turner atoned for his throwing error that cost the Los Angeles Dodgers a share of first place in the National League West.

Turner changed all that, as he led off the game with a solo home run off of Jay Jackson, helping the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 41,146 at Oracle Park. With the victory, the Dodgers and Giants are once again tied for first place in the National League West.

It was the 16th leadoff career home run for Turner, who was acquired by the Dodgers at the trading deadline along with Max Scherzer from the Washington Nationals.

The Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the frame, when Corey Seager hit a sacrifice fly that Austin Slater made a great play on and then Justin Turner scored on a double by A.J. Pollock.

In what was considered a bullpen game for the Giants, Jay Jackson started and went just 0.1 innings, allowing three runs on one hit before being replaced by Jarlin Garcia, who gave up two hits in 2.2 innings of work.

Garcia was able to get out of the jam in the top of the first inning, as he got Pollock at third base. Pollock was forced to leave the game due to what was later called a right Hamstring Strain.

Julio Urias was his usual outstanding self, as he went the first 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on eight hits, Urias did not walk a batter and struck out eight, as he raised his record to 16-3 on the season.

The Giants got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Buster Posey doubled to right field that scored Kris Bryant, who singled with one out in the inning.

Justin Turner reached on an infield single, then went to second on a throwing error by Mauricio Dubon, went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a balk by Jose Quintana.

After reaching on the Trea Turner error in the bottom of the 11th inning to win the game on Friday night, Posey went 3-for-4, and came within an eyelash of going 4-for-4, as Mookie Betts made a great catch to rob Posey.

Seager put the game out of reach, when he hit a solo home run to lead off the top of the ninth inning off of Sammy Long.

It was a good day for the Seager family, as Coreys brother Kyle went 2-for-5 with six runs batted in for the Seattle Mariners and the two hits for Kyle were both three-run home runs, giving him 33 on the season and the Mariners defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 at Chase Field.

Albert Pujols drove in the final run of the game for the Dodgers, as he hit a sacrifice fly that easily scored Cody Bellinger from third base. Bellinger came on to replace Pollock when he was forced to leave the game with a strained right hamstring.

NOTES: Dubon was recalled from Sacramento, as he replaced Alex Dickerson, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.

UP NEXT: The Giants starter for Sundays finale is not determined, while the Dodgers will send Walker Buehler to the mound, as he looks for his 14th win of the season.

Throwing error by Turner gives Giants thrilling victory 3-2

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Thairo Estrada the San Francisco Giants second baseman forces out the Los Angeles Dodgers Corey Seagar  and throws to first base to complete a double play on Fri Sep 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Trea Turner maybe new to the rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it was his throwing error that decided the game.

Turner threw the ball hit by Buster Posey that pulled Will Smith off of first base by mere inches that allowed Brandon Belt to score from third base and the Giants regained the first-place lead in the National League West with a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers before a crowd of 39,338 at Oracle Park.

Mike Yastrzemski started the inning on second base, then after Darin Ruf struck out for the first out of the inning, Brandon Belt was intentionally walked and then Kris Bryant to load the bases against losing pitcher Evan Phillips. Alex Dickerson then grounded into a force play, when Corey Seager threw to Austin Barnes for the second out of the inning that brought Posey to the plate.

Posey grounded the ball to Turner at second base that pulled Smith off the bag by inches and was originally called safe by first base umpire Todd Tichenor, the call was reviewed by the umpires in New York and after the review, the call was upheld and the Giants escaped with a hard-fought victory.

In the top of the 11th inning, the Dodgers were unable that all important run across, as Justin Turner, who started the inning on second base, then moved to third on a Corey Seager base hit; however, Turner was thrown out at the plate on a great throw by Brandon Crawford on a ball hit by Smith. Jarlin Garcia then struck out Chris Taylor and Phillips to end the jam and the inning.

Garcia pitched the final inning for the Giants, as he allowed one hit and struck out two to pick up his sixth win of the season.

Albert Pujols was on second base to start the top of the 10th inning, and then went to third on Austin Pollock fly out to centerfield and that is when Walker Buehler, who is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon for the Dodgers came on to pinch-run for Pujols and Buehler scored without a throw from Yastrzemski to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by Trea Turner.

The Giants tied it up in the bottom of the 10th inning, when Posey scored on a Brandon Crawford single, who went to second on the throw home. Thairo Estrada then hit a ground ball that sent Crawford to third base; however, both Yastrzemski and pinch hitter Curt Casali struck out to end the inning.

Austin Slater came off the bench to pinch hit for LaMonte Wade, Jr., and Slater singled to left field in the bottom of the third inning with the bases loaded to score DeSclafani from third base to give the Giants the 1-0 lead over the Dodgers.

DeSclafani walked to lead off the inning against Phil Bickford, who came on to replace Corey Knebel, who went the first two innings.

Unfortunately, the Giants were unable to take care advantage following the Slater base hit, as Alex Vesia, who gave up the single to Slater was able to get Posey to ground into a force play that saw Justin Turner throw to Smith to get Ruf at the plate.

Ruf walked following DeSclafani, and after the Posey force out, Crawford hit a screaming line drive that Cody Bellinger was able to track down to end the inning.

DeSclafani ended up going six innings, allowing zero runs on just two hits, walking three and striking out five and did not figure in the decision.

Knebel, who went the first two innings for the Dodgers after being a last-minute replacement for David Price, allowed two hits and struck out two.

Bickford went 0.1 innings, allowing one run on one hits, walked two and struck out one in what turned into a bullpen game for the Dodgers.

Following Bickford, Dodgers manager used his entire bullpen, as Vesia came on then it was Brusdar Graterol, Justin Bruhl, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen, Andrew Vasquez and Evan Phillips.

In all, the 10 relievers allowed two runs on six hits, walked eight and struck out seven over the final 8.2 innings of the game that took four hours and 32 minutes to complete.

The Dodgers could not muster any offense off of DeSclafani, as he limited them to those two hits. DeSclafani gave up a single to Trea Turner and did not allow another hit until Seager singled with one out in the top of the fourth inning.

After the Turner single, Max Muncy grounded into a force play and after Mookie Betts popped out for the second out of the inning, DeSclafani walked Justin Turner; however, he was able to get out of the jam, when he struck out Seager to end the inning.

Unlike the Dodgers, the Giants put a few rallies together in three different innings, including the third. The Giants also put multiple runners on base in the bottom of the fifth, the sixth inning; and in the ninth inning; however, in those innings, they came away with nothing.

Evan Longoria made his return to the diamond in the bottom of the sixth inning, and reached on a throwing error when Muncy was unable to scoop up the Turner throw from third base.

With Longoria on first base, Ruf hit a low line drive into center field and it looked like made a great shoestring catch to end the inning; however, the call was overturned, when the ball hit the ground just before it landed in his glove.

Tyler Rogers came on in the top of the eighth inning and retired the Dodgers in order, including getting Muncy looking to end the inning.

Unfortunately, Jake McGee was unable to hold onto the lead for the Giants in the top of the ninth inning and secure his 30th save of the season, as he gave up a single to Justin Turner with one out, then Seager doubled him to third and after Smith grounded into a force play that saw Seager get called out after Turner returned to third base; however, the game could have ended if Posey would have tagged Seager prior to running Turner back to the base. The snafu cost the Giants, as Taylor tied up the game, when he singled to score Turner from third base.

NOTES: Longoria was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and Mauricio Dubon was optioned to Sacramento to make room for Longoria.

Entering the game, the Giants and Dodgers were tied for first place with the exact same winning percentage of .634, and it was only the second time in the long history of this rivalry (130 games or more) that the teams met. The only other time was from September 3-6, 1962, (Sarah Langs via Elias).

The 201 home runs hit by the Giants are the most by the team since they hit a team-record 235 home runs in 2001, and the 201 home runs are the sixth-most in team history.

This was the first time since September 18, 1997 that the Giants and Dodgers were tied for first place in the month of September. The Giants ended up taking over first place that afternoon, when former Skyline (Oakland) High School standout and Stanford quarterback Brian Johnson hit a solo home run off of Mark Guthrie to give the Giants a 6-5 victory in 12 innings, and propelled the Giants to win the National League West over the Dodgers.

UP NEXT: Julio Urias, who is 15-3 on the season for the Dodgers will take the mound on Saturday night, while there is no announced starter for the Giants.