The Dodgers scored three runs in the sixth inning to back a strong start by Emmet Sheehan to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium and salvage a series split after dropping the first two games.
Teoscar Hernández figured prominently on both sides of the ball in and around left field on Thursday, and it was his third hit of the night that finally chased San Francisco starter Landen Roupp with one out in the sixth inning with a tie score and runners on second and third base.
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Left-hander Matt Gage was called in for his third appearance of the series and struck out lefty-hitting Dalton Rushing for the second out of the frame. Alex Call, a right-handed batter, pinch-hit for Hyeseong Kim, and dunked a single into short right field to give the Dodgers their second lead of the night, and he took second base on the throw home. Call scored on the second single of the game by Miguel Rojas, who started at shortstop for Mookie Betts.
It took until the sixth inning of the seventh and final game, but the three runs in the sixth marked the Dodgers’ largest-scoring frame of the homestand.
Hernández had no extra-base hits in his previous 15 games before this series, but doubled twice on Thursday, including a third-inning ball to the right field wall that set up another run. Hernández was caught between third base and home later in the frame, when Rojas attempted a safety squeeze but bunted it right back to pitcher Landen Roupp. Rojas was so displeased with the bunt that he slammed his helmet to the dirt when the inning ended one out later without another run scoring.
Sheehan was effective all night against the Giants, inducing 19 swinging strikes — his second-most in a start this season — including 10 whiffs on the fastball and seven on the slider. That fueled Sheehan’s six strikeouts in six innings in which he nearly escaped unscathed.
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San Francisco didn’t get a hit off Sheehan until Rafael Devers dropped a bloop single into shallow left field in the fourth inning. Sheehan walked a pair, both after 0-2 counts, including one in the fifth to Drew Gilbert. The second hit against Sheehan was another properly placed looper into left field, this one by Jung Hoo Lee that somehow managed to scoot past Hernández for an inside-the-park two-run home run.
Instead of a 2-0 lead in which Sheehan was relatively cruising, suddenly the game was tied. But he rebounded to retire his next four batters to complete six innings for the third time this season.
Sheehan famously pitched six scoreless no-hit innings against the Giants in his major league debut at Dodger Stadium in 2023, and has allowed only four runs and five hits with 31 strikeouts in 28 innings against them for a 1.29 ERA in five career games, including four career starts.
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Notes
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Call has four hits in six at-bats as a pinch-hitter this season, including a double. Rest of the Dodgers have two hits in 25 pinch-hit at-bats.
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Hernández in the series had three multi-hit games and three total doubles in the four games.
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With Shohei Ohtani sitting, Will Smith got the start at designated hitter on Thursday after catching the first three games. Smith batted leadoff for the first time in his career and homered in the first inning.
Thursday particulars
Home runs: Will Smith (4); Jung Hoo Lee (3)
WP — Emmet Sheehan (3-1): 6 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
LP — Landen Roupp (5-4): 5 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Sv — Tanner Scott (4): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts
Up next
Technically the Dodgers are on the road next, though close enough for many to still sleep at home, starting a three-game series against the Angels on Friday night (6:38 p.m.; SportsNet LA, KTTV channel 11) in Anaheim. Blake Snell goes in the opener, with Jack Kochanowicz on the mound for the Halos.
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