Former Dodgers assist Giants snap dropping streak vs. rival

SAN FRANCISCO — With the assistance of three former Dodgers, the Giants lastly snapped their eight-game residence dropping streak in opposition to their archrivals. 

Veteran Alex Wood allowed just one hit over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, and reliever Scott Alexander earned the win after wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam within the sixth inning because the Giants shut out the Dodgers, 5-0, on Tuesday evening to even their three-game sequence at Oracle Park.  

The two left-handers have been backed by ex-Dodgers slugger Joc Pederson, who delivered a two-run double off Dustin May within the first inning to provide the Giants an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish. David Villar and Brandon Crawford provided a trio of insurance coverage runs within the eighth by launching back-to-back homers off Evan Phillips, with Villar gathering his first profession blast at Oracle Park.

Wood, Alexander and right-handers Jakob Junis, John Brebbia, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval mixed to carry the Dodgers to a few hits within the membership’s first shutout win of the yr. 

“When you get runs early, you want to try to put up zeros on the board,” Wood mentioned. “Just grateful we have been in a position to do this. The ‘pen did an amazing job. Just a very good staff win tonight.”

San Francisco had misplaced 16 of 20 video games to Los Angeles courting to final season, together with a 9-1 blowout loss in Monday evening’s sequence opener, but it surely capitalized on early command points from May, who issued back-to-back walks to LaMonte Wade Jr. and Michael Conforto to steer off the underside of the primary. One out later, Pederson ripped a down-and-in cutter to proper area for a double that put the Giants forward, 2-0. 

Wood spent 5 seasons with the Dodgers, however he entered Tuesday 0-5 with a 4.95 ERA in seven begins in opposition to his previous membership since leaving Los Angeles to signal with the Giants in January 2021. He fell one out shy of getting his first win in opposition to the Dodgers since July 21, 2015, as supervisor Gabe Kapler determined to usher in Junis to face the right-handed-hitting Will Smith with a pair of runners on and two outs within the fifth.

Smith despatched a 104.6 mph drive deep to proper area, however Conforto managed to run it down on the warning observe for the ultimate out of the inning. Still, the Dodgers threatened once more within the sixth, loading the bases with no outs after J.D. Martinez and Trayce Thompson singled, and Miguel Vargas reached on catcher’s interference by rookie Blake Sabol.

Junis struck out Chris Taylor swinging on a slider earlier than giving solution to Alexander, who received James Outman to hit a tapper in entrance of the plate. Alexander shortly received off the mound, fielded the ball and threw residence to retire Martinez after which struck out Miguel Rojas swinging on a 94.9 mph sinker to finish the inning. 

“Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” Alexander mentioned. “That’s simply type of the lifetime of a reliever. I’m completely happy it labored out as we speak. I’m completely happy I used to be capable of assist out and decide up Juny there and get us again within the dugout. Obviously, it’s a very good staff. You’ve received to respect everybody in that lineup. Anytime you possibly can win a recreation in opposition to these guys, it’s huge.”

The Dodgers acquired Alexander from the Royals as a part of a three-team commerce that additionally concerned the White Sox in 2018, however he made solely 59 appearances over his last three seasons in Los Angeles as a consequence of accidents. The Giants signed the 33-year-old veteran to a Minor League deal final May and helped get him wholesome earlier than calling him up in September, when he posted a 1.04 ERA over 17 appearances.

Alexander hasn’t allowed a run in his final 14 outings courting to Sept. 12, reducing his ERA with the Giants to 0.90 over 20 innings. 

“Scotty’s been nasty,” Wood mentioned. “He’s at all times been nasty, however to see him come right into a scenario like that and get us proper out of there, it’s fairly spectacular. … He’s received a unicorn sinker. When it’s on and he’s proper, it’s onerous to place the barrel on it. He’s seemed nice up to now. I’m actually completely happy for him. He’ll be an enormous piece for us going ahead for the remainder of the yr.”