SF Giants lose first game against Dodgers in final series, 6-2
The SF Giants lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 on Friday night, dashing their chances at a .500 season. The loss came hot on the heels of the Giants' big blockbuster move: the firing of Manager Gabe Kapler ahead of the season's end. With just two games left in the season, the Giants have a lot they will need to improve on this winter.
Despite the dark cloud overhead due to their managerial turmoil, the Giants also crowned their Thairo Estrada the 2023 Willie Mac Award winner. They also made a little history when bench coach Kai Correa, who was installed as the interim head coach for the final series, together with Dave Roberts. The duo became the first opposing managers of Asian descent in MLB history, and in the Big 4 professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL).
The Giants gave up the lead in the first inning, when Keaton Winn, back from the COVID IL, gave up a single to first baseman Freddie Freeman, and then three pitches later a two-run home run to catcher Will Smith. Unwilling to go down with at least a small amount of fight, the Giants attempted to come back against mid-season pickup Lance Lynn.
San Francisco Giants interim manager Kai Correa returns to the dugout during the sixth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park.
© John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski both drew walks in the bottom of the first, and then Wilmer Flores hit a single to score Wade Jr., putting the Giants down 2-1. They stranded two runners on base, as has been a disturbing trend this season, only scoring the one run.
In the top of the third, Winn gave up a solo home run to Freeman, who no matter the uniform he dons, has great success against the Giants. The Dodgers went up 3-1. But again, in the bottom of the third, Flores refused to let the team go down swinging. He hit a home run to left center to bring the Dodgers lead to 3-2, and owned the only two hits the Giants tallied all game to that point.
The game remained entirely uneventful until the top of the sixth, when Winn allowed a double to Freeman, and then hit Smith with a pitch. On the very next pitch, he allowed a three-run home run to J.D. Martinez to put the Dodgers up 6-2 and put a tie, let alone a win, completely out of reach for the hitting-dry Giants. Winn finished his evening at 75 pitches, with six earned runs off six hits, owing to a few big mistake pitches. Sean Hjelle came in to relieve him to end the sixth.
The Giants would not earn another hit all game, though they tallied six walks in total so they were not without base runners to attempt to score. In front of a crowd of mostly Dodgers fans, the Giants failed to bring home a win for the 82nd time this year. The series continues tomorrow at Oracle Park. The game begins at 6:05 PM Pacific.
