Patrick Bailey delivered a pinch-hit, game-tying double during an eighth-inning surge as the San Francisco Giants rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The victory prevented a four-game sweep and halted a difficult stretch for San Francisco, while the Dodgers’ bullpen faltered again in a critical moment.
Sportsbooks had Los Angeles as heavy -200 favorites on the moneyline, with San Francisco at +165. The over/under was set at 8.5 runs, and the two teams combined for just four, well under the total.
The game turned in the eighth inning when Los Angeles reliever Blake Treinen entered with a 1-0 lead. Treinen, a key figure in the Dodgers’ 2023 championship run, continued a recent slump by allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while facing only seven batters. Bailey tied the contest with his double into the right-field corner, and the Giants moved ahead when Willy Adames drew a bases-loaded walk. Matt Chapman added an RBI groundout to cap the rally.
Treinen, who dropped to 1-7, has taken five losses in his last seven appearances. His earned run average climbed to 5.55, and the 37-year-old has pitched just 5 1/3 innings over that span. The struggles of Treinen and the bullpen have undermined Los Angeles’ ability to close out games, casting uncertainty on the club’s playoff readiness despite another strong regular season.
The late collapse overshadowed an excellent outing from Dodgers rookie Emmet Sheehan. The right-hander carried a one-hitter into the eighth inning, striking out 10 without issuing a walk. He retired the final 15 Giants he faced and left with Los Angeles still leading 1-0.
Sheehan’s counterpart, Trevor McDonald, held his own in his first career start. The San Francisco right-hander matched zeros with Sheehan until the seventh inning. That was when the Dodgers finally broke through, as Max Muncy drew a leadoff walk and scored on Michael Conforto’s line-drive single. McDonald departed after that frame, allowing just one run on three hits.
San Francisco’s bullpen kept the game close, giving its offense the chance to rally. Spencer Bivens won by pitching a scoreless seventh inning, improving to 4-3. Ryan Walker closed the game in the ninth for his 16th save. The victory marked just the Giants’ second in their last nine games, but it provided a brief reprieve as their postseason hopes faded.
The Dodgers saw their four-game winning streak snapped. With San Diego’s win over the Chicago White Sox earlier in the day, Los Angeles’ magic number to clinch its 12th National League West title in 13 years remained at three.
Sunday’s announced attendance of 46,601 pushed the Dodgers’ season total past 4 million for the first time, finishing at 4,012,470.
The Giants will return home Monday to open their final season series, sending Justin Verlander (3-10, 3.75 ERA) to the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers will travel to Arizona, where Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 3.29 ERA) is scheduled to make his final regular-season start on Tuesday.