Giants’ crucial victory over Dodgers is led by Sean Manaea.
The visiting San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Friday thanks to Sean Manaea’s no-run performance over a season-high seven innings.
Manaea (7-6) struck out two while allowing three hits—all singles—and no walks.
In his first career victory over the Dodgers in 10 appearances (seven starts), he did not allow a runner to advance to second base. The left-hander had a 9 point ERA going into the game and was 0-5 against Los Angeles.
With three games separating San Francisco (77-77) from the final National League wild-card spot, Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, and Tyler Fitzgerald all hit home runs.
On their final road trip of the regular season, which still has two games left at Los Angeles, the Giants are 2-6.
The Dodgers’ first-ever 200-hit season was made possible by Freddie Freeman, who contributed two hits and an RBI.
With 200 hits, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season, Freeman made major league history as the first first baseman ever.
Los Angeles (94-59), which had already clinched the NL West title, observed that its magic number for securing a top-two seed in the NL Playoffs remained at two.
In each league’s division series, the top two seeds receive byes.
Joc Pederson, a former Dodger, was given the early-pinch-hit assignment by the Giants, and the former Dodger doubled in the fourth inning against right-hander Gavin Stone.
Three batters later, Yastrzemski hit his 15th home run of the year, a two-out, two-run shot that gave the team a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth inning against Stone, Estrada hit his 13th solo home run to give his team a 3-0 lead.
In the eighth inning, the Dodgers erupted, loading the bases on right-hander Tyler Rogers and scoring on a Freeman RBI single to get within 3-1.
Camilo Duval, a right-handed pitcher, came on to get Will Smith to ground out to end the inning.
He then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 38th save.
Fitzgerald’s first home run came in the ninth inning of his second career game.
Stone (1-1) gave up three runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts after Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson pitched a scoreless inning to start the game.
