12th-inning HR prevents A’s from sweeping Mariners.
McCutchen stings L.A. again with 3-run homer, but Giants fall in 12 innings
LOS ANGELES >> It wasn’t quite the most dramatic three-run home run Andrew McCutchen has hit against the Dodgers this season, but it had a chance to be the most important.
With Los Angeles leading 3-0 in the top of the eighth Wednesday, McCutchen smacked a hanging curveball off Caleb Ferguson to deep left center field to tie the score and offer the Giants another chance to secure a comeback win at Dodger Stadium.
They spent the next four innings looking for their brooms, but the Giants failed to finish off a sweep as Brian Dozier’s sac fly brought home Yasmani Grandal in the 12th inning to cap off a 4-3 Dodgers win.
On April 7, McCutchen introduced himself to Giants fans by capping off a six-hit night with a walkoff three-run home run in the 14th inning of a 7-5 win. Dodgers reliever Wilmer Font took McCutchen to 12 pitches in that at-bat, but Font was soon jettisoned and has since played for two other major league teams.
Unlike Font, the issues in the Dodgers bullpen aren’t going anywhere. But Wednesday, it was Dozier’s turn to experience the glory McCutchen felt in lifting his new team to a victory.
Wednesday’s game marked the seventh straight in which a Los Angeles reliever has blown a lead, and the third straight in which the Giants have either taken the lead or tied a game with runs in the eighth inning or later.
The Giants had bullpen troubles of their own, but when they tempted fate by allowing Mark Melancon to pitch to Dodgers slugger Manny Machado in the 10th inning, Melancon survived and struck out the power-hitting shortstop.
McCutchen’s three-run blast
bailed out Giants rookies Reyes Moronta and Ray Black, who combined to allow three runs in the two frames leading up to the eighth.
McCutchen wasn’t the only right fielder who made an impact in Wednesday’s game, as Yasiel Puig turned home plate into his personal stage for the second straight night.
After Puig and Giants catcher Nick Hundley started a heated exchange at the plate Tuesday, Puig had the dish all to himself in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game.
As McCutchen corralled a Joc Pederson flyout off Reyes Moronta, Puig sprinted home from third base and raised his arms in celebration as he scored the first run of the game. The flamboyant outfielder emphatically slapped hands with Pederson before retreating to the home dugout to continue the party.
The sixth inning run squandered a scoreless outing from Giants starter Derek Holland, who pitched under pressure from the outset of Wednesday’s game.
Holland labored through 4 2/3 intense innings at Dodger Stadium Wednesday and threw 55 strikes. His center fielder Gorkys Hernández threw one too, and that’s how Holland kept the Dodgers off the board.
With two on and one out in the fifth, Holland allowed a single to Dodgers left fielder Matt Kemp. As Brian Dozier raced around third base, Hernández collected the ball and threw a 95-mile per hour laser to catcher Buster Posey. Home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater initially ruled Dozier safe, but a replay review overturned the call and preserved the 0-0 tie.
Holland walked the next hitter to load the bases, forcing Giants manager Bruce Bochy to tempt fate and bring in effectively wild rookie, Moronta. Despite forcing Posey to move his mitt throughout his warmup session, Moronta induced a first-pitch pop up from pinch hitter Cody Bellinger to send the game to the sixth inning.
After taking the first two games of their series in Los Angeles, the Giants entered Wednesday’s game looking for their first three-game road sweep of their rivals since
August 20-22, 2012.
The Dodgers started a pair of left-handers, Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood, in the first two games of the series and continued the trend Wednesday as they activated Hyun-jin Ryu from the disabled list. Ryu made his first appearance since he strained his groin May 6 and took the roster spot of right-hander Ross Stripling, who is dealing with back stiffness he blamed on a soft Ritz Carlton hotel mattress.
Ryu didn’t take long to find his form as he scattered three hits over six shutout innings, building off the tone set by Kershaw and Wood who combined to allow two earned runs in their starts.
CRAWFORD RETURNS TO ACTION, PANIK SITS AGAIN >> Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford returned to the starting lineup Wednesday, but he cleared concussion protocol and was available to pinch hit Tuesday.
Crawford collided with left fielder Gorkys Hernández while pursuing a flyball in the fourth inning Monday and sat out Tuesday’s game.
“I mean I probably could have played,” Crawford said. “But like I said, for precautionary reasons, just in case something happened again yesterday like getting hit in the head again...it wouldn’t have been very good.”