May 1, 2017
The Dodgers usually don’t lose when Clayton Kershaw is on the mound, but the unusual happened on Monday at Chavez Ravine. The Giants beat Kershaw and the Dodgers 4-3.
Hunter Pence and Buster Posey hit home runs off of Kershaw, and Johnny Cueto went 7 strong innings to improve his record to 4-2 on the season.
Kershaw did not look as invincible as he usually does on this night. The Dodger ace pitched 6 innings, giving up four runs (three of them earned) on eight hits, striking out five, and yielding a pair of home runs.
The Giants didn’t waste much time getting on the board in this one. With one out in the 1st inning, Christian Arroyo singled, then Hunter Pence hit a 2-run shot to left, and it was 2-0 San Francisco.
The Dodgers got one back in their half of the 1st inning on an RBI groundout from Yasmani Grandal. They had a chance for more, but Adrian Gonzales struck out, which stranded Corey Seager at 2nd base.
Kershaw would help his own cause in the bottom of the 2nd inning, delivering an RBI single that scored Cody Bellinger, which tied the game 2-2. Bellinger led off the inning with a ground rule double.
In the 3rd, the Giants got to Kershaw again, with Buster Posey smacking a 2-run homer to left field, giving San Francisco a 3-2 lead.
Arroyo added to the lead in the 5th, delivering a run scoring single that scored Gorkys Hernandez.
Chris Taylor pinch-hit in the 7th inning, and got the Dodgers a little bit closer with an RBI single that scored Bellinger. Taylor is now hitting .607 since he was recalled from the minor leagues. However, the Dodgers would not get any closer than 4-3.
Over the course of Cueto’s 7 innings, he gave up 3 runs on 6 hits , striking out 6 and walking 1. Derek law recorded the final out of the game, earning him his 1st save of the season.
Justin Turner went 0-4, which ended his 16-game hit streak. He lined out twice. The loss also snapped the Dodgers four game winning streak.
Pence came into the game batting just .100 in his career against Kershaw, without a home run. The Giants also entered the game with a season-low 16 home runs, prior to hitting a pair against the Dodger ace.
The Dodgers will try to get back in the win column on Tuesday night at the Ravine. Alex Wood (1-0; 2.29 ERA) gets the start for LA, while the Giants will send Matt More to the hill (1-3; 4.80 ERA).