Dodgers' offense wakes up in shutout win over Giants
Chris Taylor scored twice, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' first run of the season, and right-hander Kenta Maeda provided his team's third straight strong pitching outing, lifting the defending National League champs to a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
On a night when the Dodgers received their NL championship rings in a pregame ceremony, the club finally demonstrated a pennant-worthy offense with timely hitting against Giants starter Derek Holland, who was hoping to begin San Francisco's third consecutive shutout.
The Dodgers' scoring drought lasted just three batters into its 19th inning, as Taylor opened the game with a walk, took third on a double by Enrique Hernandez and scored on Yasiel Puig's sacrifice fly.
Matt Kemp followed with a single, scoring Hernandez for a 2-0 lead.
While Maeda was keeping the Giants at bay, Taylor tripled and made it 3-0 in the third on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.
The Dodgers caught a break in the fourth when, with two on and two out, Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco misplayed Kyle Farmer's fly ball into a two-base error, allowing Cody Bellinger and Austin Barnes to score for a 5-0 advantage.
Maeda was pulled after throwing 90 pitches in five shutout innings. He allowed five hits and one walk and struck out 10.
Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood had allowed just one run and nine hits over a combined 14 innings in the Dodgers' two season-opening losses.
Ross Stripling pitched two innings, followed by Pedro Baez and Scott Alexander with one apiece, completing the shutout. They allowed a combined four hits and two walks, but were aided by two double plays.
The foursome completed a nine-hit shutout. The Giants out-hit the Dodgers 9-4 in the game and 19-11 in the series.
Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Blanco had two hits apiece for the Giants. Posey had the club's only extra-base hit, a double.
Panik, the offensive hero of two consecutive 1-0 wins to open the series with solo home runs in each, went 2-for-5.
Holland, making his first start for the Giants, struggled through five innings, allowing five runs (three earned), three hits and three walks. He struck out four.
--Field Level Media
