Dodgers’ Bats Awaken Too Late in Loss to Giants
Seven-game skid matches team’s longest losing streak since 2017
A late offensive surge wasn’t enough as the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Francisco Giants 8-7, marking their seventh consecutive loss. Despite a powerful comeback, the Dodgers couldn’t overcome an early six-run deficit.
Offensive Spark, Ultimately Insufficient
The Dodgers’ offense, which had been struggling, showed signs of life against Giants’ ace Logan Webb, scoring six runs against him. This performance, however, came after Dustin May surrendered seven runs in less than five innings.
“I like the fight. I thought one through nine, there were good at-bats in there, scored some runs, had a chance to win again,”
said manager Dave Roberts, adding, “And unfortunately, on the pitching side, we just couldn’t prevent enough.”
Ohtani’s Splashdown Homer
Shohei Ohtani hit his 32nd home run of the season, landing in McCovey Cove. It was only the eighth splash-down home run by a Dodger player in Oracle Park history.
May’s Struggles on the Mound
After a promising start, Dustin May struggled with his command in the fourth inning, issuing walks to Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman. A two-run triple by Jung Hoo Lee extended the Giants’ lead.
“Just got a little bit out of sync, couldn’t time things back up,”
May said, regarding his pitching performance.
Giants Extend Lead
The Giants capitalized in the fifth inning, scoring five more runs. Willy Adames hit a two-run triple after a missed double play opportunity by Hyeseong Kim. According to MLB statistics, the Giants have an 88.2% win rate when leading after five innings this season (MLB.com).
Dodgers’ Comeback Falls Short
In the sixth, Teoscar Hernández hit a two-run double, and Michael Conforto followed with a two-run homer. Mookie Betts scored on Will Smith’s RBI single in the seventh, narrowing the gap.
“It’s definitely more encouraging,”
Betts stated. “I can’t speak for everyone. But I haven’t done anything this whole time … Just to get us going, get some hits there, that’s the positive that you can take out of it.”
Missed Opportunities
Despite the late rally, the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize on key opportunities. Will Smith grounded into a double play in the ninth, sealing the Giants’ victory.
The Dodgers’ division lead has shrunk to four games as they approach the All-Star break. Despite the loss, Betts emphasized the importance of finding positives: “I know it sucks, but you have to try to take some positive out of it,”
adding, “At least we battled back.”
