Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Match Player Stats On Sep 11, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 12, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hunter Pence's third hit of the game broke a sixth-inning, and Buster Posey doubled home a run in the seventh, helping the San Francisco Giants extend the Los Angeles Dodgers' losing streak to 11 games with an 8-6 victory in the opener of a three-game series Monday night.

After the game was delayed twice for a total of 3 hours, 32 minutes because of rain, the Giants blew a 4-0 lead before overcoming a 5-4 deficit by scoring four of the game's final five runs in a contest that ended at 2:10 a.m. PDT.

Denard Span homered into the San Francisco Bay, and Jarrett Parker added a solo shot as the last-place Giants evened the season series with Los Angeles 7-7.

The 11th consecutive defeat established a West Coast record for the Dodgers, who despite the loss saw their magic number for clinching the National League West shrink to 10 thanks to the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks losing to the Colorado Rockies.

The Dodgers (92-52) now lead the Washington Nationals (88-55) by just 3 1/2 games in the race for the best record in the NL.

Yasiel Puig homered for the Dodgers, his 25th of the season, giving the visitors a short-lived, 5-4 lead in the fifth inning.

The score was tied 6-6 in the last of the sixth before Pablo Sandoval grounded a one-out single off the fifth Dodgers pitcher, right-hander Pedro Baez (3-5).

Nick Hundley followed with a single, and after Baez struck out pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson, Pence laced a single up the middle, scoring a sliding Sandoval with the go-ahead run.

Posey's double provided an insurance run one inning later against Dodgers left-hander Tony Watson, scoring Span, who had walked.

Right-hander Derek Law (4-1), the fourth Giants pitcher, got credit for the win despite allowing a game-tying RBI double to Justin Turner in the top of the sixth.

Righty Hunter Strickland worked a 1-2-3 eighth, and closer Sam Dyson pitched around a walk in the ninth for his 13th save.

Span, batting third in a reshuffled Giants order, had two hits, scored twice and drove in three runs for San Francisco, which was opening an eight-game homestand.

Posey collected two hits and two RBIs, and Pence scored twice for the Giants (57-89). San Francisco improved to 44-21 when scoring three or more runs.

Puig had two hits, and Corey Seager drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who were opening a 10-game trip.

The first delay, which lasted 42 minutes, occurred before either starting pitcher began his warm-ups.

The skies opened again after Giants starter Chris Stratton struck out Curtis Granderson to lead off the game.

Stratton did not return after the 2-hour, 52-minute interruption.

The Giants used a power display to put up four runs on Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda in the first three innings. Span had his two-run "Splash Hit" in the first, Parker a solo shot in the second and Pence a triple off the right field wall in the third, after which Joe Panik's RBI infield out made it 4-0.

Maeda allowed four runs and four hits in three innings. He walked four and did not record a strikeout.

The Dodgers got even against Stratton's replacement, left-hander Ty Blach, in a four-run fourth. Seager's two-out, two-run single capped the rally and produced a 4-4 tie.

NOTES: During the 2-hour, 52-minute delay, the Dodgers reportedly balked at scheduling a makeup game on Thursday, noting it would eliminate the only off day on their schedule between Aug. 28 and Sept. 28. ... The second game of the series Tuesday will feature a showdown between Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw and Giants RHP Johnny Cueto. ... The "Splash Hit" by Giants CF Denard Span was his third of the season and fifth of his career. ... San Francisco announced before the game that it would sign RHP Ryan Vogelsong to a one-day contract Sunday and allow him to retire a Giant during a pregame ceremony. The 12-year major league began his career in 2000 with the Giants, and he returned for a second stint from 2011-15.