An umpire aided 2-run rally by the Dodgers in the second inning was all they needed to beat a Giants lineup still depleted by injuries and COVID.
The game hinged on two walks by Dodgers hitters off Carlos Rodon LHP which included several statcast strikes. Rodon admittedly did not have complete command of his pitches early and a wild pitch advanced those runners to 2'nd and 3'rd. They scored on a single by The Evil Rodent. The Giants managed to plate one run in the 7'th inning on a SF by Luis Gonzalez PH/LF/RF but the Dodgers ultimately did not need the insurance run they scored in the 8'th inning.
Gonzalez came up again in the 9'th inning with a runner on first base and two outs facing Craig Kimbrel RHP. He bunted for a base hit to put runners on first and second. Luke Williams LF/3B flied out to end the game. Even though the bunt base hit looks good in the boxscore, it's a bad baseball decision as I am pretty sure Gonzalez had a better chance of tying the game with a HR there as a LH batter facing the opposite-handed pitcher than Williams had of tying or winning it against the same-handed Kimbrel.
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Alex Wood LHP tries to even the series tonight facing TBD.
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The Giants have several players on the IL who appear to be nearing returns. They don't seem to be in a hurry to bring Lamonte Wade Jr OF back as he played yet another rehab game for AAA Sacramento. Maybe that's because the Giants were facing Julio Urias LHP in the opener of the Dodgers series? Evan Longoria 3B and Tommy La Stella 2B/UT also played their first rehab games today. It's also a good sign the Giants have not had any more positive COVID tests for several days and reopened their clubhouse to reporters.
Good point re the 9th inning 2-out bunt — think Gonzalez had that pointed out to him?
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