The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 5-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, splitting their four-game series behind a stellar pitching performance from Emmet Sheehan and a crucial sixth-inning rally.
Sheehan delivered six impressive innings on the mound, while Alex Call provided the decisive blow with a two-run double in the sixth that put the Dodgers ahead for good. Will Smith got things started early with a leadoff home run, and Teoscar Hernandez contributed three hits to the winning effort.
The victory allowed the Dodgers to claim the final two contests of the series after beginning the season with a disappointing 1-4 record against their division rivals. Los Angeles managed eight hits despite playing without Shohei Ohtani for the second straight game, as the star player received his first complete day off of the year while working through offensive struggles.
Sheehan improved to 3-1 on the season, surrendering just two runs on two hits while walking two and striking out six batters. Tanner Scott closed out the game with a flawless ninth inning to earn his fourth save of the campaign.
For San Francisco, Jung Hoo Lee provided the offensive highlight with a two-run inside-the-park home run. Starting pitcher Landen Roupp took the loss, falling to 5-4 after allowing four runs on six hits across 5 1/3 innings. He recorded seven strikeouts and issued two walks as the Giants dropped back-to-back games following a strong 4-1 stretch.
The Giants’ offensive struggles continued from the previous night when they were shut out by Ohtani and the Los Angeles bullpen.
Smith, batting leadoff for the first time in his professional career, wasted no time connecting on Roupp’s fourth pitch of the game, sending it just over the right field fence for his fourth homer this season.
The Dodgers extended their lead to 2-0 in the second inning when Hyeseong Kim drove in a run with a single.
Lee’s dramatic inside-the-park homer came in the fifth inning with a runner on first base. His blooper down the left field line took an unusual bounce off the retaining wall, rolling past Hernandez into the corner and allowing Lee to circle the bases for his third home run of the year, sliding safely into home ahead of the relay throw.
The decisive sixth inning saw pinch hitter Call deliver a clutch single to right field off reliever Matt Gage, bringing home two runs for a 4-2 advantage. Miguel Rojas added an insurance run with an RBI single to center field on the tenth pitch of his at-bat.
