Logan Webb struggles in loss to Dodgers – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

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SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants had an opportunity to move into a playoff spot with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. For nearly the first half of the game, it looked like their postseason hopes were becoming a reality.

But things change fast in the game of baseball, and despite a commendable comeback effort, the Giants couldn’t overcome their fifth-inning collapse as they fell to Los Angeles 13-7 in the second matchup of a three-game set at Oracle Park.

San Francisco’s offense got off to a hot start, taking advantage of 37-year-old Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw. The Giants scored four runs in the first inning.

While Kershaw struggled, Giants ace Logan Webb’s outing wasn’t much better. Just one day after witnessing a 1-of-1 pitching duel between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Verlander on Friday night, the series was met with quite the opposite less than 24 hours later.

Webb’s final line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR

Kershaw’s final line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

The Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a commanding 9-4 lead. The energy at Oracle Park had completely shifted. The deafening “Beat LA” chants turned into “Let’s go Dodgers!” roars.

But not for long.

Jerar Encarnacion’s RBI double scored Matt Chapman in the bottom of the fifth. Then Dodgers pitcher Kirby Yates walked Luis Matos. Next to bat was the man who hasn’t seemed to face a moment too big for him, Patrick Bailey, who had the walk-off grand slam in Friday’s exhilarating win.

Bailey extended his hit streak to five games and drove in two more runs to shrink the Dodgers’ lead from five to two runs.

But Los Angeles’ offense stayed aggressive, while San Francisco’s gave out.

Here are the takeaways from the loss.

Webb Struggles

No one wants to win as badly as Logan Webb. No one wants to beat the Dodgers as badly as Logan Webb.

The Giants ace, however, didn’t necessarily live up to his expectations on Saturday.

Through 4.0 innings, Webb gave up 10 hits and six runs (six earned) while striking out five and walking two. He also gave up one solo homer to Shohei Ohtani.

While his outing likely didn’t go as he had hoped, he salvaged what could have been a disaster for San Francisco in the top of the second inning. With bases loaded and no outs, Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas popped out to second for Los Angeles’ first out.

Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt was next to hit with Ohtani on deck.

The Giants did literally exactly what they needed to do in that moment, as Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt grounded into a double play as Webb and the Giants managed to escape a no-outs, bases-loaded jam.

Webb returned to the mound in the third inning, giving up two runs as the Dodgers crept within one. Webb escaped the fourth inning with no damage done, but after he walked two Dodgers batters to load the bases for the second time Saturday, Giants manager Bob Melvin pulled him.

While San Francisco hoped that was the remedy, the Giants’ bullpen couldn’t pick up Webb’s slack, either, as Los Angeles scored [NINE] more runs after Webb’s exit.

Kershaw Crumbles

One of the greatest pitchers of this era and a future Baseball Hall of Famer, Kershaw has given the Giants (and many other teams) plenty of issues for nearly two decades.

But Fathertime appeared to have gotten the best of the 37-year-old on Saturday, and the Giants took advantage.

San Francisco scored four runs in the first inning.

In 61 appearances against the Giants in his career, Kershaw has a 27-16 record with a 2.00 ERA and 413 strikeouts.

But he gave up five hits and four runs (four earned) while walking four and striking out two.

While he’s not signaled at retirement, it’s looking more and more like the writing is on the wall for Kershaw after this season. And that’s music to Giants fans’ ears.

The Giants had an opportunity to move into a playoff spot with a win over the Dodgers on Saturday. The New York Mets’ epic collapse continued with an eighth consecutive loss earlier Saturday afternoon against the Texas Rangers.

The Mets now are 76-73 on the season and again a half-game ahead of the Giants (75-73) for the final NL wild-card berth.

The Cincinnati Reds were a game behind the Mets entering their game against the Athletics on Saturday night in West Sacramento. That game had yet to finish at the time of this writing.

That final postseason berth remains fair game.

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