SF Giants swept by Dodgers, dropping second straight one-run game

LOS ANGELES — If their opening series against the fearsome Dodgers provided any indication, then no, the San Francisco Giants did not come close this winter to closing the gap between them and their deep-pocketed southern rivals.

The Dodgers completed a three-game sweep Wednesday, handing the Giants a 5-4 loss and, like the previous two, never trailed.

As a parting gift, Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run in Dodger blue, a 430-foot solo shot off Taylor Rogers in the seventh that proved to be valuable insurance when Jorge Soler responded with a solo shot of 452 feet even more impressive the next round. .

Dropping the final two games of the series by just one run apiece, the Giants scratched and clawed again Wednesday, with a two-run single from Michael Conforto and another solo shot from catcher Patrick Bailey, but moral victories don’t count not in the ranking. .

The Giants didn’t hold the lead for an inning of the three-game series, snapping a four-game losing streak and going 2-5 into their home opener Friday against the Padres.

Kyle Harrison ran into trouble early and worked through five innings, a stark change from his efficient six innings against the Padres in his first start.

After issuing three walks, Harrison was scored for four runs on six hits, including a solo home run by light shortstop Miguel Rojas.

It was difficult to put the batters away and finish the innings.

Of Harrison’s three free passes, he had leverage with two strikes, losing Max Muncy with a fastball and a changeup off the plate inside, Chris Taylor with a pair of fastballs over the letters and Mookie Betts with two fastballs to the outside. corner after committing a foul on a difficult two-shot change.

The Dodgers fouled 17 of Harrison’s pitches and threw 33 more outside the strike zone, bringing his pitch count to 87, 11 more than he needed to complete six innings during his previous departure. It was a steady diet of fastballs and changeups from the 23-year-old southpaw, throwing just eight breaking balls.

The walk to Taylor loaded the bases, putting Muncy at third in position to score the game’s first run on a Rojas defensive pick, opening a 1-0 lead. Rojas made it 4-1 in the fourth when he deposited a high shot into the Dodgers bullpen, preventing Harrison from completing a 1-2-3 inning and handing the lineout to Betts.

Despite the loss, it was a difficult day for Harrison’s battery mate.

Bailey unloaded on a hanging slider from Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow in the third inning, sending the pitch deep into the right field seats for the Giants’ first run of the evening and the catcher’s first switch-hitting home run of the season . By adding a single in his second at-bat, Bailey increased his batting average to .375 and his OPS to 1.007.

Bailey also picked up his first base stealer of the year, unleashing a laser from his three-quarter arm slot to bring Teoscar Hernandez to second base. After throwing out 28 percent of runners as a rookie last year, Bailey had allowed four stolen bases to start this season.

Notable

Jung Hoo Lee failed to reach base in four trips to the plate, ending a six-game streak to start his career.

Following

Jordan Hicks, Keaton Winn and Logan Webb will receive the ball in that order when the Giants return home for their first games on the shores of McCovey Cove. After hosting the Padres for three games, the Giants will welcome the Nationals to town, with Blake Snell scheduled to make his debut Monday in the first game of this series.