Giants fall to Dodgers 3-1, Bumgarner makes last start
SAN FRANCISCO – Before the first pitch was even thrown, the talent discrepancy between the Giants and Dodgers was on full display.
When managers Bruce Bochy and Dave Roberts submitted their starting lineups for Friday’s series opener, it wasn’t just clear which club was fighting for a playoff berth and which club would be spending its October at home.
It was obvious which franchise is built to contend into the future, and which organization must soon restock its roster with more talent.
Though the home team still considers ace Madison Bumgarner the great equalizer, even Bumgarner’s left arm wasn’t enough to stop the Dodgers in a 3-1 Giants loss.
The Dodgers (89-71) overmatched the Giants (73-87) Friday, sitting four 20-home run hitters on the bench so Roberts could start a lineup of righthanded Will Smith of the San Francisco Giants is presented with the 2018 Willie Mac Award by Hall of Fame first baseman Willie Mccovey before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park on Friday in San Francisco.
hitters against Bumgarner. One of the Dodgers’ best offensive threats, Justin Turner, won’t finish with 20 homers this season, but he did break a 1-1 tie by crushing a Bumgarner fastball into the left center field bleachers in the top of the fifth.
“Just a fastball up and in,” Bumgarner said. “It wasn’t terrible. It didn’t get in as much as I would like. But I’ve still beat him with that pitch quite a few times even with the spot it was. He’s a smart hitter, made an adjustment and got to it.”
Turner’s 14th home run of the season came on a pitch Bumgarner left right over the heart of the plate and helped the Dodgers maintain their 1.0-game deficit behind the Colorado Rockies in the National League West.
While the Giants hoped Bumgarner would stifle the Dodgers and hand the game over to closer Will Smith, the left-hander needed 112 pitches to make it through six innings.
“Gutty effort,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Ends up being a quality start, though. Six innings, three runs. He did log some pitchers there, we just couldn’t get a hit. You saw the double plays killed us, five of them.”
Smith joined Bumgarner (2013) and four other current Giants in elite company as he took home the Willie Mac Award, the team’s highest honor, during a pregame ceremony Friday. The award is bestowed upon the player who best exemplifies the inspiration, character and leadership shown by the Hall of Fame first baseman throughout his 22-year major league career.
“I don’t know if it has sunk in yet,” Smith said of the honor. “But it’s incredible. You saw all of the people out there today, past winners that were here but to be in the same breath as Willie Mccovey means a lot.”
The Giants could have used a player with half of Willie Mccovey’s prolific power on their 2018 squad, as their offensive woes continued against Dodgers starter Hyun-jin Ryu. After 2017 Willie Mac Award winner Nick Hundley belted his 10th home run of the season to give the Giants a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, the offense hit into three double plays against the Los Angeles lefty and five total in the loss.
Ryu exited after six innings having allowed just one run, but Roberts dug into his bullpen and used three relievers to keep the Giants from narrowing the deficit in the seventh. After the first two hitters reached base, right-hander Pedro Baez struck out a pair before starter-turnedreliever Alex Wood entered to close out the inning.