Photo credit: @DodgerBlue1958
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Turner may have missed the first 40 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a broken left wrist, and then 10 more games in July with a right groin injury; however, he came through when he was needed the most.
Turner hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, helping the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a sellout crowd of 41,167 at AT&T Park.
On the season, Turner is hitting .357 (10-for-28) against the Giants and has hits in all seven games he has played against the Giants this season.
With the victory, the Dodgers stayed one game behind the Colorado Rockies in the fight for the National League Western Division Championship.
Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched six strong innings, as he gave up just one run on four hits, walking two and striking out three and finished the 2018 season with a 7-3 record.
Ryu’s first and only mistake came in the bottom of the second inning, as he gave up a solo home run to Nick Hundley that gave the Giants an early 1-0 lead.
It was the 10th home run of the season for Hundley, and his sixth at home this season. It was his first home run since July 28 versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
Unfortunately, Madison Bumgarner was unable to hold onto the lead, as Manny Machado singled to left field to score Enrique Hernandez from second base to tie up the game in the top of the third inning.
The Hernandez single in the third inning, was the second of three straight hits for him, he then went to second on a David Freese walk and then Machado tied up the game with his single off of Bumgarner.
Hernandez ended up going three-for-four on the evening, but he did go three-for-three against Bumgarner and is now 19-for-39 (.487) in his career against him. That is the second highest batting average among active players in the majors against Bumgarner (minimum 15 at-bats).
Once again, the Achilles heel was the double play ball, as they grounded into five in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings that put a stop to five huge rallies.
Austin Slater grounded into a double play with runners on first and second, and nobody out and then Gorkys Hernandez flew out to Chris Taylor to end the inning.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, it was Slater again put the end to a Giants rally, as he grounded into his second double play in three innings.
Evan Longoria grounded into the third one of the night in the bottom of the sixth inning after Joe Panik led off the inning with a single, but was then erased on the double play ball hit by Longoria.
Once again, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Longoria grounded into a double play to end the inning. Panik singled with one out, but was then retired for the second out of the inning.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got Hundley to fly out for the first out of the inning, but Jansen hit Crawford; however, he was able to get Aramis Garcia to ground into the fifth double play of the night for the Giants to end the game.
Bumgarner, who started the season on the disabled list with a broken left finger suffered in his last start of spring training on March 23, went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out six and he finished the 2018 season with a record of 6-7.
Slater was forced to leave the game with elbow soreness in his throwing arm, and will undergo an MRI on Saturday.
NOTES: This was the 250th career start of Bumgarner’s career, and only five pitchers who have reached that plateau since divisional play began in 1969, this according to STATS,LLC.
Giants closer Will Smith was named the 2018 Willie Mac Award winner. The award is given to the player who best exemplifies the inspiration, character and leadership that Willie McCovey demonstrated during his playing days for the Giants from 1959-1974, and then 1977-1980.
Smith, who missed all of the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was one of the Giants top relievers this season. He posted a record of 2-3 with 1.90 ERA, while saving 14 games in 18 opportunities.
Joining Smith on the field at the ceremony were past winners, Mike Krukow, who was the Master of Ceremonies, Jack Clark , Darrell Evans, Chris Speier, Dave Dravecky, Mike Felder, Shawon Dunston, Ellis Burks, Mark Gardner, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Bumgarner, Crawford and Hundley.
Once again, the Giants topped the three million mark in attendance, as this was the 17th time in the 19 years since AT&T Park opened that they have eclipsed that mark and it is the ninth consecutive year that they accomplished the feat.
The five double plays hit by the Giants are a season high, and it was the first time since July 30, 2017, also against the Dodgers that the Giants hit into at least five double plays in a game.
UP NEXT: The Giants and Dodgers face each other again on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 pm PT.
Dereck Rodriguez makes his final start of the 2018 season on Saturday, as he looks to the finish the season on a high note and the Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw to the mound.
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