Dodgers outlast Giants in key division showdown

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers secured a crucial hit, coupled with a strong performance from right-hander Dustin May, leading to their 5-4 victory over the Giants on Father's Day Sunday at Dodger Stadium in front of 53,980 fans.

Andy Pages delivered a strong performance with his smooth swing, hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning. He crushed a slider thrown by right-hander Ryan Walker. This home run marked Pages' 13th of the season, and he ended the night with four RBIs, bringing his total to 46 for the season.

The Dodgers took the lead over the Giants thanks to their timely hitting. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts both singled to begin the sixth inning. Although Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez were both retired, Ohtani and Betts advanced into scoring position after Freeman hit a ground ball. With runners on second and third, Pages delivered a crucial hit, providing the Dodgers with a much-needed boost.

Pages contributed to the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. He is now batting .313 with four home runs and 18 RBI over his last 21 games.

Tommy Edman showcased his power by hitting a solo home run to right field, traveling 400 feet, marking his 10th home run of the season. Freddie Freeman went 1-for-4 at the plate, with a single in the first inning. Interestingly, Freeman has not hit a home run in his last 30 games; his last one was on Mother’s Day. Shohei Ohtani had an impressive performance, going 3-for-3 with three singles and a walk. Ohtani's first two hits came on the first pitch he faced, and he later hit a slow roller to first base, where he managed to get an infield single.

Kike Hernandez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Miguel Rojas all went hitless on Sunday, while the rest of the Dodgers’ offense recorded eight hits.

May (4-4, 4.46 ERA) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and four walks while striking out three batters. It was an efficient outing, as he started the game with three scoreless innings. However, things changed in the fourth inning. After recording the first two outs, May gave up a single to Mike Yastrzemski, followed by hitting Logan Porter, which put runners on first and second. Christian Koss then hit an RBI single to center field. Jung Hoo Lee stepped up next and, on the fourth pitch he saw, he slapped the ball down the right field line for a two-run triple, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead.

May completed the next two innings, allowing only two hits and finishing his outing with 94 pitches thrown.

The Giants scored their fourth run of the game with a pinch-hit home run by Daniel Johnson in the eighth inning.

Before the first pitch, the Giants had scheduled Kyle Harrison to start. However, Buster Posey, who is now the President of Baseball Operations, made a blockbuster trade just before the game began. The Giants traded Harrison to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Rafael Devers. This last-minute decision to pull Harrison during his warm-ups likely gave the Dodgers an advantage, as they had a more consistent lineup.

Left-hander Tanner Scott entered the game with a one-run lead and secured his 13th save of the season by striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Although Scott had struggled over the past month, blowing a couple of saves, he has bounced back in his last six appearances. During that stretch, he has not allowed an earned run over six innings and has accumulated nine strikeouts.

The Dodgers won two out of three games, maintaining a two-game lead in the division over the Giants. Now, they are preparing to host the San Diego Padres for a four-game series that starts on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.