Stars shine, and Dodgers have plenty in reserve to beat Giants

LOS ANGELES — Adrian Gonzalez and Andrew Toles were in the middle of another Dodgers offensive outburst, each driving in three runs in a 9-5 victory over the Giants in their series opener on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

And Toles didn’t even start the game.

The win opened up a two-game lead in the National League West for the Dodgers, their largest divisional lead since April 24, when LA was a season-best 2½ games up.

The Dodgers have averaged 5.71 runs per game since the All-Star break, including scoring six or more runs 15 times in their last 34 games.

They are 15-0 in those games.

Gonzalez in his career against Madison Bumgarner entering Tuesday was 8-for-48 (.167) with thee RBI in 50 plate appearances. He matched that RBI total by the fifth inning in the series opener, thanks to a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a two-run tiebreaking single in the fifth.

Gonzalez was 2-for-4 on the night, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, during which he is hitting .415 (27-for-65) with 13 extra-base hits and 22 RBI.

He was part of a middle of the order that wreaked havoc on Bumgarner. Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Gonzalez combined to go 7-for-7 with a walk and a sacrifice fly against the Giants ace, scoring three runs and driving in four.

Seager extended his hitting streak to 14 games going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. During the streak, Seager is 29-for-57 (.509), raising his batting average on the season from .300 to .324 during that time.

Turner drove home the Dodgers’ first run with a two-out single in the first inning, the first of his three hits on the night. He also walked.

Rob Segedin, whose wife could deliver their first son Robinson at any moment, took Bumgarner deep in the second inning for his second home run in as many days.

The Dodgers were able to add a pair of runs thanks to three straight hits to open the sixth inning against relief pitcher Cory Gearrin, highlighted by a pinch-hit double by the pinch-hitter Toles.

Toles added a two-run home run in the eighth to widen the Dodgers’ lead, like Segedin, his second in as many days. His three RBI were the most by a Dodgers reserve this season (Toles entered the game in the sixth inning).

"I don't think power is a part of my game. You saw the home run, it was a wall-scraper,” Toles said. “I'm just putting a good swing on the ball.”

On the mound

Kenta Maeda threw 100 pitches for just the seventh time in 25 starts this season, but his 103 pitches only got him through five innings. That included 29 pitches in the fifth inning that saw the Giants tie the game 3-3.

Maeda’s pitch count was also inflated by his four walks, matching his career high set on May 6 in Toronto.

"Kenta was good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It's just one of those things where he was working ahead of hitters, and couldn't put them away. “

The second of Maeda’s two wild pitches put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the fifth inning, but Maeda was able to strike out Hunter Pence to end the threat and keep the game tied. Both Maeda and Yasmani Grandal pumped their fists as the crowd erupted after the strikeout.

“That was a fun sequence,” Roberts said.

What a relief

With a three-run lead to open the seventh inning, Joe Blanton went through the heart of the order in order, including strikeouts of Brandon Belt and Buster Posey, then got the first two outs of the eighth inning. Kenley Jansen got the final out of the eighth on one pitch, then retired the Giants in the ninth for his 36th save.

For Blanton, it was his 15th appearance longer than one inning this season. It was the sixth appearance longer than an inning for Jansen in 2016, and his fifth save in such games.

Roberts could have kept Blanton in to finish the eighth inning, but the choice to bring in Jansen, who had pitched once in the previous nine days, was predetermined.

"Kenley was our most rested reliever. I made my decision to have Kenley get four outs tonight,” Roberts said. “We've used Joe a lot. Especially with the unknown of what happens with that next hitter, to keep that pitch count down and have him available for the next day, and maybe the day after that.”

Another streak

Not to be overshadowed by the Dodgers’ hitting streaks, Angel Pagan delivered an RBI single in the Giants’ two-run third inning to extend his own hitting streak to 19 straight games, one shy of his career high set in 2012.

Pagan, who also singled and scored in the fifth inning, is hitting .364 (28-for-77) during the streak.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Rob Segedin (2), Andrew Toles (2); Denard Span (8)

WP - Kenta Maeda (13-7): 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

LP - Maidson Bumgarner (12-8): 5 IP, 9 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

Sv - Kenley Jansen (36): 1⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 strikeout