LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers took care of business on Thursday night, defeating the San Francisco Giants 2-1 at Dodger Stadium in the opening game of a crucial four-game series, the final homestand of the season. With the win, the Dodgers extended their lead in the National League West to three games over the San Diego Padres, and their magic number for clinching the division dropped to just 6.
It was a classic pitchers' duel early on. Logan Webb, who started for the Giants, was in control throughout the first five innings, pounding the strike zone and keeping the Dodgers off balance. On the other side, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was laboring with his command but somehow kept the Giants scoreless through five frames. Yamamoto walked six batters but allowed just one hit, showcasing his ability to escape trouble despite not having his best stuff.
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— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) September 19, 2025
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Dodgers’ offense finally broke through. Miguel Rojas led off with a single, and Shohei Ohtani followed with a double off the right-field wall, putting runners on second and third with just one out. Mookie Betts then grounded one sharply to shortstop, where the Giants tried to get the force out at home. However, catcher Patrick Bailey couldn’t hang onto the ball as he applied the tag, allowing Rojas to score and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Freddie knocks in another! #Dodgers lead 2-0
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 19, 2025
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Freddie Freeman followed with a single to center, scoring Ohtani from second and extending the Dodgers' lead to 2-0. It wasn’t much, but it was enough, as the Dodgers’ pitching staff did the rest.
Yamamoto’s night ended after 5 ⅓ innings, and while his command issues kept things interesting, he managed to escape without allowing a run. After walking Willy Adames to start the sixth, Dave Roberts decided to pull Yamamoto in favor of left-hander Jack Dreyer, who got the next two batters out to keep the Giants at bay.
The seventh inning presented a bigger challenge. Michael Kopech came on in relief and immediately walked Jung Hoo Lee and Patrick Bailey. His control issues have been a major concern recently, with a staggering 8 walks in his last four outings. With the bases loaded and one out, Roberts called on veteran Blake Treinen to douse the fire. Treinen did just that, walking Heliot Ramos to bring in the Giants' only run but then striking out Willy Adames and Matt Chapman to escape the jam.
It wasn’t pretty, but Treinen kept the Dodgers in front, 2-1, after the top of the seventh.
The bullpen continued to shine from there. Anthony Banda came on in the eighth and worked a perfect inning, while Alex Vesia closed things out with a clean ninth, striking out two batters to record his fifth save of the season.
The Dodgers will now turn to Clayton Kershaw for the second game of the series on Friday night. Kershaw (10-2, 3.53 ERA) will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium in what is likely his 18th and final season with the team. He’ll be opposed by Giants’ left-hander Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.50 ERA), who will look to prevent the Dodgers from widening their division lead further.
The Dodgers’ pitching staff, led by the bullpen, continues to show resilience, and with just a handful of games remaining, every victory brings them closer to securing the NL West crown. The magic number is down to 6, and the next few days at home could go a long way in clinching another division title before the postseason arrives.
