LIVE BLOGGING WITH EDDIE RIVERA | Dodgers Turn a One-Run Game Into a Rout With Four Eighth-Inning Homers

A one-run game became a rout in the span of a single inning Friday night at Dodger Stadium, where four home runs in the eighth carried the Dodgers past the San Francisco Giants, 8-2, in the opener of a three-game weekend series.

The Dodgers, who clinched the National League West on Thursday, could afford to wait, and for seven innings they did. Then Max Muncy sent a ball to the middle of center field for a home run, and Kyle Tucker answered with one of his own. Josue De Paula walked. Mookie Betts drove a two-run homer, and Will Smith added the fourth of the inning. Giants reliever Philip Abner allowed all four homers and five earned runs.

Tyler Glasnow handled the early work, striking out 10 over six innings while allowing three hits and two runs on 98 pitches. Betts had opened the night with a leadoff home run on the second pitch he saw, the 33rd leadoff homer of his career. Jung Hoo Lee tied the game with a homer to right in the second, and San Francisco took a 2-1 lead in the third when Scott Bandura singled, stole second and scored on a Jonah Cox single. Glasnow did not give up another hit.

The Dodgers tied it in the fifth when Teoscar Hernández singled home Betts, then went ahead in the sixth on a De Paula double that scored Tucker, who had walked. Kris Bubic, Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz each followed with a scoreless inning, and Los Angeles pitchers finished with 14 strikeouts. Díaz struck out two in the ninth around an Andrew Knizner single.

Betts finished 3 for 5 with two homers and three RBIs. De Paula went 2 for 4 with a double and scored twice, and Tucker had two hits, a homer and two runs. The Dodgers collected 11 hits, six of them for extra bases, without committing an error, while going 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

The result fit a pattern. The Dodgers, now 94-60, entered the night 66-23 when they collected eight or more hits, and they had 11. The Giants, who fell to 64-90, were 28-50 on the road and 16-27 in one-run games. San Francisco had led the season series 4-3 before Friday; the teams are now even at four wins apiece.

The division is settled, so the season’s remaining question is seeding. Los Angeles entered the night two games behind Milwaukee for the National League’s best record, with the top two division winners earning first-round byes. Meanwhile the Padres, nine games back, remain in the wild-card chase and arrive Tuesday for three games at Dodger Stadium.

The series continues Saturday night at 6:10 p.m. at Dodger Stadium, with Justin Wrobleski scheduled to start for the Dodgers against Logan Webb. Tarik Skubal is the scheduled starter Sunday afternoon at 1:10 p.m., opposite Giants starter Landen Roupp.

Here’s how we blogged it:

Dodgers Face the Giants
Tyler Glasnow gets the ball for first game of three

The division is clinched, the celebration hangover is fading, and the Dodgers can finally exhale. Tonight’s Giants game at Dodger Stadium (7:15 p.m.) opens a three-game weekend set with nothing to lose except bragging rights. Meanwhile, the Padres, a full nine games back, are giddily eyeing a wild-card spot. Cute. Bless their hearts.

 

Rivalry games ignore standings, though, and San Francisco would love nothing more than to gleefully gate-crash the party.

 

Then the Padres arrive Tuesday for three games at Chavez Ravine. Awkward!

Tyler Glasnow (4-1, 3.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 77 K) takes the ball against César Perdomo (0-1, 3.68 ERA, 11 K). The Dodgers are 93-60, 47-28 at home, and 66-23 when they collect eight-plus hits; Kyle Tucker’s four-hit night Thursday helped fuel an 8-2 win in Cincinnati. Their .338 OBP ranks third in baseball, and they allow just 3.55 runs per game on the road, second-best. The Giants, eliminated at 64-89, are 28-50 away from home and 16-27 in one-run games. Oddsmakers have L.A. around -300 with an 8-run total.

San Francisco leads the season series 4-3. Tarik Skubal starts Sunday.

First Pitch
7:15
72 Degrees

FIRST INNING
Top

Drew Gilbert has a full count . He flies out to center field.

Turner Hill is at 1-2. 3-2. He is strickened out.

Jonah Cox. 0-2. 1-2 2-2. Glasnow goes three in a row. (In case you’re wondering, the Apple TV broadcast is 30 seconds behind the game.)

Bottom

Maurice (Mookie) Betts homers on the second pitch he sees, is 33rd leadoff career homer.

Will Smith is at 2-2. 3-2. He is so walked.

Teoscar singles to first. Smith is shot down at second. Not literally.

Freeman is at 1-2. 2-2. Back to the dugout.

Miguel (no relation) Rojas flies out.

Dodgers 1, Giants 0.

SECOND INNING
Top

Jung Hoo Lee. 2-2. He homers to deep right field.

Shay Whitcomb strikes out.
Drew Cavanaugh is at 3-2. Back to the dugout.

Fred Harris strikes out. Tonight’s DJ loves Led Zeppelin.

Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

Bottom

Kyle Tucker grounds out to first.

Kike “Kike” Hernandez is 1-2. 2-2. He flies out to right.

Alex Call is at 2-0. 3-0. 4-0. He walks to first over there.

Josue DePaula be at 1-2. 2-2. 3-2. He flies out to center.

Dodgers 1, Giants 1.

THIRD INNING
Top

Badura singles and steals second.

Christian Koss is at 2-2. 3-2. Done.

Gilbert (no relation). Swing and a miss. 1-1. 2-1. 3-1. 3-2. He walks to first.

Turner Hill. Clearly a made-up name. Flies out to center. No one goes anywhere.

Cox singles, and scores Badura.

That guy at bat just now flied way out to center.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1.

Bottom

Mookie takes 0-1. He gets to 3-1, then gets walked.

……and Mookie is at second.

Teoscar singles to center.

Freeman flies out to center.

Rojas grounds out to First.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1.

FOURTH INNING
Top

Shay Whitcomb is at 0-2. He strikes out.

Drew Cavanaugh 2-0. 2-1. 2-2. Whiff!

Harris (no relation) out at first.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1.

Bottom

Tucker be at 2-0. He plunks one into left field.

Kike hits into a double play.

Alex Call is at 2-2. He flies out to end the inning.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1.

FIFTH INNING
Top

Bandura strikes out.

Koss is out at first.

Gilbert at 1-2. He flies out to Left.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1.

Bottom

De Paula singles to right.

Mookie singles to left.

Will Smith flies out, moves Mookie to third.

Teoscar singles, scoring Mookie.

Freeman up with runners on first and second. He flies out to left.

Rojas coming up. Chat show on the mound.

Lots of hubbub. Muncy comes to bat. Three outs.

Dodgers 2, Giants 2.

SIXTH INNING
Top

Turner Hill gets walked.

…Hill goes to second.

Lee is at 2-2. He flies out to right. Hill goes to third.

Whitcomb is at 1-1. 2-2. So very very out.

Dodgers 2, Giants 2.

Bottom

Tucker strolls to first.

Kiké flies out to center.

Edman is up. Another Chat Show on the mound. 0-1. 0-2. Down he goes.

De Paula doubles and Tucker scores.

Mookie is at 1-2.2-2. Flies out to first.

Dodgers 3, Giants 2.

SEVENTH INNING
Top

Chris Bubic now pitching for the Dodgers.

Knizner is at 1-2 etc. Out at first.

Harris singles.

Bericoto flies out to right. Two down, as it is said.

Koss is at 1-1.1-2. Out. Seriously.

Dodgers 3, Giants 2.

Bottom

Will Smith flies out.

Teoscar is on, and freeman is up.

And Freeman is out.

Dodgers 3, Giants 2.

EIGHTH INNING
Top

Tanner Scott (!) now pitching.
Basabo flies out.

Turner Hill is batting. Yet again. He is out. Yet again.

Jonah Cox is 1-1. 2-1. 2-2. Out.

Dodgers 3, Giants 2.

Bottom

Muncy homers to the center of center field.

Tucker does the same.

DePaula is walked.

Mookie homers. Again. De Paul scores.

Will Smith homers.

Teoscar is out at first.

Dodgers 8, Giants 2.

NINTH INNING
Top

Edwin Diaz now pitching.

Whoever batted here is out.

McCray is at 1-2. Done.

Kninzer singles.

Harris strikes out.

Dodgers 8, Giants 2. FINAL