Dodgers blow 3 saves and 4 leads in loss to Giants

It was messy, and sloppy, and the Dodgers blew four different leads in a 10-8 loss to the Giants in 11 innings on Tuesday night. Donovan Solano hit a two-run walk-off home run off Dennis Santana to win it, the third straight inning the Giants scored against the Dodgers bullpen.

Solano’s home run came four pitches after Santana struck out Brandon Belt, the only time in six tried the Dodgers retired the Giants first baseman.

The game was in extra innings thanks to Belt, who homered in the ninths, his second of the game and fourth hit of the night. Belt also walked, and reached base in 11 consecutive plate appearances before striking out. He drove in five.

It was the first home run allowed and first blown save of the season for Kenley Jansen, who struck out two in his one inning of work. It was also the first of three blown saves on the night for the Dodgers bullpen, the first time in franchise history they had three blown saves in the same game.

“It wasn’t a well-played game for us,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We didn’t do a lot of things right. We kept those guys in the ball game, and they found a way to walk us off.”

Each half inning in extras was memorable in its own way, and not just because of the free runner on second base rule.

Justin Turner was the free runner on second base to start the top of the 10th inning, and after a one-out walk he took third base on a passed ball by Joey Bart, who was crossed up on a fastball from Jarlin Garcia. Bart compounded the faux pas by throwing the ball into left field, allowing in the go-ahead run, Turner’s third run scored of the night.

San Francisco scored the equalizer in the bottom of the 10th against Scott Alexander when Bart, the free runner on second, was dead to rights on a leadoff ground ball to shortstop, only Corey Seager didn’t throw to third base, opting instead for the surer out at first base. Bart scored on a two-out infield single that Turner made a tremendous diving stop on, but had no play.

“Nine of of 10 times, Seager is going to come to me for the lead runner,” Turner said. “But he was kind of blocked out on the play [by Bart].”

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

With two outs and free-runner Will Smith on third base in the 11th inning, Turner squirted a ball between the pitcher’s mound and first base, then deftly avoided diving pitcher Tyler Rogers to reach safely and allow the go-ahead run to score.

“It was probably the greatest hit in the history of MLB,” Turner joked.

It was Turner’s fourth hit of the night. He’s reached base in 18 consecutive games.

Early offense

It was the four left-handers in the starting lineup who got their licks against Johnny Cueto, facing the veteran right-hander for the third time in 34 days. Max Muncy and Corey Seager each homered against him. Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson each doubled, helping to hang six runs on Cueto.

It was Muncy’s fourth home run in his last nine games. Seager has five homers in his last 11 games.

Bellinger has been even hotter of late, with two more hits Tuesday. He’s 10-for-23 (.435) in his last six games, with an extra-base hit in each one, one shy of his longest such streak, set as a rookie in 2017.

The Dodgers needed all that offense, because the Giants were living on base all night. Seventeen of San Francisco’s 42 plate appearances in the first nine innings Tuesday came with one or more runner in scoring position.

Six times the Giants had the leadoff man on base in this game, and Dodgers pitchers didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning all night.

Opening blues

The odd season of Julio Urias continued. He struck out six, but also allowed a season-high four runs and did not record an out in the fifth inning. The bulk of the damage came in the first inning, when Muncy’s three-run blast was answered with one from the other first baseman, Belt.

Urías this season has allowed seven runs, including three home runs in his six first innings, but just four runs in 21 innings afterward. He’s allowed at least one run in the first inning in four of his last five starts.

Belt doubled off the right field wall to drive in the fourth run against Urías to chase him from the game with nobody out in the fifth. That Urías didn’t allow another run in between the first and fifth was a minor miracle, as he walked a season-high three and allowed six hits on the night.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Max Muncy (8), Corey Seager (8); Brandon Belt 2 (5), Donovan Solano (2)

WP — Sam Selman (2-0): ⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 unearned run, 1 strikeout

LP — Dennis Santana (1-2): ⅔ IP, 2 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 1 strikeout

Up next

Clayton Kershaw gets the start for the Dodgers in the middle game of the series on Wednesday, with Kevin Gausman starting for San Francisco. In addition to the SportsNet LA broadcast, ESPN will televise the 6:45 p.m. PT game nationally, with Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, and Tim Kurkjian on the call.