Mookie Betts hit a tiebreaking three-run home run in the eighth inning and Trayce Thompson drove in two runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers blew a five-run lead before rallying for a 9-6 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.
Freddie Freeman hit his 14th home run for the Dodgers, who led 5-0 after three innings. Los Angeles starter Mitch White opened the game with five hitless innings as the Dodgers earned their fifth consecutive victory while winning for the 12th time in their last 13 games.
Evan Longoria hit a home run and Darin Ruf had a grand slam in a five-run seventh inning for the Giants.
San Francisco saw its three-game winning streak over the Dodgers come to an end, as well as a three-game overall win streak. The Giants went into the break having won five of their last six games.
After the Giants tied the game 5-5 in the seventh inning, they took a 6-5 lead in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk to Thairo Estrada.
The Dodgers tied it again in the eighth on an RBI triple from Thompson. After Cody Bellinger walked, Betts crushed a three-run home run to left field off Jarlin Garcia for a 9-6 advantage. It was Betts’ 21st homer of the season.
Freeman gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a home run to center off Giants starter Carlos Rodon.
An RBI double by Thompson, a two-run double from Justin Turner and another RBI double by Hanser Alberto gave the Dodgers their 5-0 lead after three innings.
White was cruising into the sixth inning when Austin Wynns led off with a single to center for the Giants’ first hit. White gave up one hit over five-plus scoreless innings.
The Giants’ offense came to life in the seventh inning when Longoria hit a one-out home run — his ninth of the season — against Dodgers right-hander Phil Bickford. Ruf’s grand slam came off left-hander Alex Vesia. The homer was Ruf’s 10th of the campaign.
Rodon gave up five runs on six hits over five innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts. Dominic Leone (3-2) was charged with two runs over two-thirds of an inning and was tagged with the loss.
Despite giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth, Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips (4-3) earned the victory.
–Field Level Media
