What we learned in Giants' typically tortuous win vs. Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
They needed to play the game of the year to do it, but the Giants finally got their win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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The Giants took a lead on a massive homer, suffered a shocking blown save, got the best catch of their season and then got to Kenley Jansen.
It all added up to an 8-5 win at Dodger Stadium.
A game full of missed opportunities went completely off the rails in the eighth and ninth. The score was tied 2-2 when Buster Posey stepped up with two on in the eighth and hit a soaring homer off Blake Treinen. The blast was the 150th of Posey's career and gave him 10 for the year, putting him in double digits for the first time since 2017.
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Posey flashed a subtle fist pump as he approached first, and the Giants seemed to have the game in hand. Jake McGee got through the bottom of the inning and handed a three-run lead to Tyler Rogers, who had allowed three runs total in his first 26 appearances. The Dodgers put a couple on for Austin Barnes, their light-hitting catcher who stunned Rogers with a three-run blast to left.
The Dodgers nearly followed that with a walk-off. Albert Pujols hit a deep fly to left, but Mike Tauchman perfectly timed his leap at the wall and robbed Pujols of a homer.
The Giants scored three runs off Jansen in the 10th, two coming on Evan Longoria's double, to make sure Tauchman's effort was rewarded.
Here are three more things to know from a wild game at Dodger Stadium.
Dugging For More Playing Time
Steven Duggar has been red-hot, but he has struggled to get more consistent playing time. Manager Gabe Kapler is trying to keep everyone involved, so Duggar has been in a mix with Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman. He's certainly making the case that he should play every day -- and perhaps hit pretty high -- against right-handers.
After a couple of innings filled with Dodgers baserunners, Duggar got the Giants back in gear by jumping on a curveball and launching a no-doubter to right. It was the third homer of the year for Duggar, who entered the night hitting .311 with a .533 slugging percentage in May. The solo shot was the first homer Buehler has allowed in nine appearances against the Giants.
Disco Escapes
DeSclafani gave up nine hits and walked three while allowing 10 runs the last time out, and the Dodgers once again put plenty of pressure on him. He was much sturdier this time, though, particularly in the third and fourth.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the third but Gavin Lux, who hit a grand slam five days earlier, grounded out to first. An inning later, the Dodgers put runners on the corners with no outs. LaMonte Wade Jr. made a huge play in a rare start at first, fielding a grounder and firing home for the first out. After a sac bunt that put two in scoring position, DeSclafani blew 94 mph past Mookie Betts to end the threat.
DeSclafani again ran into trouble in the fifth, and he couldn't escape it. With two on, Chris Taylor ripped an RBI single that tied the game and brought Caleb Baragar into the game. Baragar has huge reverse splits, but the Dodgers for some reason pinch-hit for Matt Beaty, who had already homered. His replacement, Pujols, flied out.
DeSclafani was charged with two earned on five hits and four walks. His next outing will come against the Chicago Cubs, a welcome break from this grinding Dodgers lineup.
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No Help From The BABIP Gods
Brandon Crawford doubled off the bottom of the right field wall in his first at-bat and then twice lined out sharply to deep left field. The latter one came with two on in the sixth inning, with Yoshi Tsutsugo robbing Crawford of what would have been RBIs No. 23 and 24 in May.
Crawford hit the ball 1,047 combined feet in those three at-bats and had just the double to show for it. He's as hot as anyone right now, but sometimes it helps to get a few lucky breaks, too.
