Shohei Ohtani doubled twice and scored a run, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto and five relievers combined on a one-hitter as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. The victory extended Los Angeles’ recent surge and widened its lead in the National League West, though persistent control issues from the bullpen added tension to the game’s final innings.
The Dodgers entered the contest as -155 favorites on the moneyline, with the Giants listed at +130. The over/under was set at 7.5 runs, and the teams combined for only three, well under the line.
Yamamoto turned in another effective outing despite struggling with command. The right-hander held San Francisco hitless outside Patrick Bailey’s single in the second inning, striking out seven and walking six while laboring into the sixth. His inability to consistently locate pitches pushed his pitch count high, forcing an early exit. Jack Dreyer relieved him and earned the win by recording the final two outs of the sixth inning.
Los Angeles broke through against Giants starter Logan Webb in the bottom half of that same inning. Ohtani lined his second double of the night to right field, moving Ben Rortvedt to third. In the next play, Mookie Betts grounded to shortstop, but Bailey could not handle Willy Adames’s throw at the plate, allowing Rortvedt to score. Freddie Freeman followed with a single to drive in Ohtani, putting the Dodgers ahead 2-0. Teoscar Hernández nearly added to the rally, but Adames made a strong defensive play to end the inning.
The Dodgers bullpen then provided a familiar dose of drama. Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen combined to walk four batters in the seventh inning, including Rafael Devers with the bases loaded to force in San Francisco’s only run. Treinen steadied himself to strike out Adames and Matt Chapman, stranding three runners. In total, Los Angeles issued 10 walks on the night and has now allowed 23 in the first four games of its homestand.
Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia restored order by retiring the final six Giants hitters. Banda set down the side in the eighth, while Vesia collected his fifth save with a clean ninth inning.
Webb was nearly as sharp as Yamamoto, limiting Los Angeles to one hit through five innings before faltering in the sixth. He finished with two runs allowed on four hits over six innings, striking out four while dropping to 14-11.
The win pushed the Dodgers’ record to 86-67, giving them a three-game cushion over San Diego in the NL West. San Francisco’s loss, its fifth in six games, left the Giants at 76-77 and three games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card berth, with both Arizona and Cincinnati also ahead of them in the race.
The series continues Friday with a historic matchup. Veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 3.53 ERA), who announced earlier in the day that he will retire after the season, is scheduled to make his final regular-season home start for Los Angeles. The Giants will counter with Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.50 ERA).