*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*
San Francisco leads series 2-1
The wind in Los Angeles was definitely a factor in this game 3. Evan Longoria decided he would hit it far enough that the win wouldn't matter. Longoria scored the game's only run, Alex Wood did his job, and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 on Monday night.
Longoria produced the only offense of the game, taking a pitch from Max Scherzer and sending it into the seats in left center field, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead in the 5th inning, a lead that would end up sticking, because that's how dominant the Giants pitching was.
Wood said of winning game 3 that "These are the moments that test you. If you're in the big leagues, if you're a big league ballplayer, you're one of the best at what you do on planet Earth. So you work hard all offseason, you work hard all season for things to culminate in moments like these. For it to go my way tonight and our team's way, after the work we put in all year and the work that I know those guys do day-in and day-out is really special."
Wood got the start for the Giants, pitching against his former team in Los Angeles, who he has spent 5 seasons pitching 4 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing two hits while walking two hitters and striking out 4 hitters in his start, not getting the full 5 innings necessary for the win, thus getting a no decision. It was Tyler Rogers who got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief after Wood was lifted. Jake McGee then pitched 2/3 of an inning, and Camilo Doval got the 6 out, two inning save, his first of the series.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler said of Wood and his start that "He's just so incredibly competitive, so fiery. He always feels like he's the best option to get the next three hitters out. I think you probably saw that he still felt like he was a good option to get more hitters out, and we love that about him. I wouldn't take away any of that fire, any of that competitiveness."
Scherzer pitched a gem of an outing for the Dodgers, but it was the one run that did him in in the 5th. Scherzer lasted 7 innings while allowing 3 hits and one walk, punching out 10 hitters in a strong start. Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen followed with scoreless innings of relief to keep the Dodgers in it, but the offense couldn't do anything with their chances.
Scherzer said of his start that "Once I was able to get through the second inning, that’s when I really felt like I found some rhythm and was able to start executing pitches. Then from that point forward, I was able to execute with five pitches. But when you get to the postseason, you can always lose by one pitch. That comes into play. Tonight, I lost it on one pitch."
Game 4 of the series is on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, where Anthony DeSclafani will get the start for the Giants as they look to secure a spot in the NLCS. Walker Buehler starts for the Dodgers as they try to keep their season alive.
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