LOS ANGELES - The Giants did not get hurt by playing short one position player on Friday night, but they did when a position player came up short.
Austin Jackson's three-base error on a dropped fly ball ended up being the difference in a 3-2 loss to the surging Dodgers. The Giants trailed 3-0 after six but got a pair back on Pablo Sandoval's oppo homer. They could never get that third run back.
The loss was the fourth in five games after an impressive weekend in Washington D.C. Here are the details…
-- Derek Holland might have had his best fastball of the season, getting five strikeouts on the pitch through the first three innings. But Enrique Hernandez hit one for a solo homer, and Matt Kemp later lofted a change-up over the fence. Holland gave up a third run that was unearned, and a high pitch count knocked him out after five.
-- Jackson dropped Yasmani Grandal's fly ball to the track in the fourth and Grandal motored all the way into third on the error. He scored when Yasiel Puig dumped a double into the gap. The calls for Steven Duggar will start to get louder.
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-- The Giants ultimately didn't get burned by going with a three-man bench, but they nearly did. It appeared Holland was going to hit for himself if Jackson reached in the top of the fifth. That would have meant a tired pitcher was hitting with two on and two outs in a close game. It also seemed Bruce Bochy stuck with Holland a bit longer than normal in the bottom of the inning so he wouldn't have to pinch-hit for a reliever. Holland got out of that jam and Hunter Pence pinch-hit for him to lead off the sixth.
