Dodgers snap losing skid with extra effort

Kyle Farmer has three career RBI in his young major league career. All are the result of extra-inning, pinch-hit, game-winning doubles against the Giants. The latest came on Sunday in the 10th inning against Pierce Johnson to give the Dodgers a 2-1 win over the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Farmer also drove in two runs with a double in his major league debut to beat the Giants last July 30, that one a walk-off at Dodger Stadium. His game-winner on Sunday scored Cody Bellinger, who didn’t start the game because of food poisoning but managed a double of his own to open the 10th.

For the first time in three tries this week, the Dodgers’ run in extra innings held up, with Kenley Jansen overcoming his early-season struggles with three strikeouts in a scoreless 10th, stranding the one hit he did allow.

The Dodgers’ losing streak is snapped at four games.

The Dodgers didn’t provide much run support for Clayton Kershaw on Sunday but they sure backed him up on defense.

Kershaw was excellent on the mound, taking a shutout into the eighth inning with six strikeouts and no walks. A line drive single followed by a perfectly placed bunt single by Kelby Tomlinson to open the eighth inning ended Kershaw’s day, and pinch-hitter Buster Posey delivered a game-tying single against reliever J.T. Chargois, who escaped the inning without further damage.

Kershaw’s career ERA at AT&T Park, covering 22 games (21 starts) and 159 innings, is an absurd 1.30 (it actually went down from 1.30263 to 1.30189 on Sunday).

Flashing the leather

Several Dodgers made highlight plays on defense Sunday, beginning with Austin Barnes at second base on the first batter of the game.

To open the third inning Chris Taylor robbed Kelby Tomlinson of a hit with this diving grab:

One batter later Kershaw helped himself with this sliding grab, while also managing to horrify an entire fan base while spinning to throw out Blach at first base.

The Giants threatened with a pair of singles in the sixth inning, but Yasiel Puig extinguished the flames with a nifty snag near his shoe tops for an inning-ending double play.

It was a good day for defense.

Up next

The Dodgers are off on Monday then open a homestand with a short two-gamer against the A’s at Dodger Stadium. Hyun-jin Ryu starts the opener on Tuesday against Sean Manaea for Oakland. The 7:10 p.m. PT game will be televised by SportsNet LA and MLB Network, with the latter subject to local blackouts.

Sunday particulars

Home runs: none

WP - Josh Fields (1-0): 1 IP, zeroes

LP - Pierce Johnson (0-1): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Sv - Kenley Jansen (1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts