Dodgers snap skid with walk-off win over Giants in the 12th

Even another blown lead by the bullpen wasn’t going to keep the Dodgers from snapping their five-game losing streak Wednesday. They outlasted the Giants with a 4-3 win in 12 innings, walking it off on a Brian Dozier sacrifice fly.

Yasmani Grandal led off the 12th with the Dodgers fourth leadoff double of the night and moved to third on a Max Muncy single to right. Dozier followed with a deep fly to center to end it.

The second baseman has now knocked in 12 runs in 13 starts for Los Angeles.

Dozier knocked in the winning run, but it was Pedro Baez who came up with two clutch innings, holding the Giants scoreless to give his team a chance.

The Dodgers are now 6-6 in extra innings, gaining a half game on the idle Diamondbacks.

A 3-0 Dodger lead seemed safe heading into the eighth inning, despite the fact that Dodger relievers still needed to figure out the last six outs. The lead wasn’t safe.

Caleb Ferguson, one of the most trusted arms in later innings for manager Dave Roberts, gave it all back on one swing. Andrew McCutchen launched a three-run homer to center that just snuck over the wall to tie the game.

The wild ride that has been the bullpen over the last week is bookended by wins.

Until the sixth inning, there was still room for the same story to play out that got the Dodgers to this point. Strong starting pitching wasn't the Dodgers concern. Scoring runs and holding the lead was the obstacle they couldn’t hurdle. It was a scoreless tie as the game moved to the bottom half of the sixth.

There were runners aboard in each of the first five innings, but the Dodgers couldn’t scratch one across. Matt Kemp — mired in a 3-for-55 slump — came up with what looked like a run-scoring single in the fifth. Brian Dozier tried to score from second but was nailed at home on a strong throw from Gorkys Hernandez. Initially called safe, Dozier was ruled out upon review.

The Dodgers did eventually break through when Joc Pederson brought Yasiel Puig home on a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead in the sixth. They would get two more in the seventh when Manny Machado doubled home Justin Turner, followed by a Kemp single that had no problem bringing Machado around from second.

It was the first multi-hit effort for Kemp since July 23, having looked helpless at the plate since then. The Dodger left fielder would end his night having reached base four times in six plate appearances, with two singles and two walks.

Speaking of multi-hit performances, Machado had been struggling over his past 14 games, hitting just .216/273/.294. The shortstop busted out with three hits and a walk, including the RBI-double in the seventh.

The last time Hyun-jin Ryu took a major league mound, the Dodgers were in the middle of a 16-26 start to their season. Taking the ball for the first time since May 2, Ryu was being dropped back onto a roster looking to snap a five-game losing streak.

Unphased by the pressure of needing a win, the big lefty pitched as if he hadn’t just missed the previous 90 games. Ryu tossed six scoreless, allowing just three hits while striking out six and walking none.

Up Next

The Dodgers head to Seattle on Friday to face the Mariners. Walker Buehler (5-4, 3.32) gets the ball in the opener against the sixth lefty in eight games in Wade LeBlanc (7-2, 3.80).

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: McCutchen (14)

WP - Pedro Baez (4-3): 2 IP, 2 strikeouts

LP - Casey Kelly (0-1): 1 ¹⁄₃ IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks