The Giants successfully counter-punched an earlier sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday and did it against nemesis Clayton Kershaw.
With Kevin Gausman (6-0) pitching six shutout innings and Maurico Dubon and Austin Slater hitting home runs, the Giants held on to win 5-4 and take three of four games at Dodger Stadium.
The Giants, who were swept in three games by the Dodgers at Oracle Park May 21-24, improved to 33-20 in the National League West and are a half game behind the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers are two games behind the Giants at 31-22.
The Giants took charge with three runs in the first inning, a number they’d never reached against Kershaw on their first at-bat in 49 previous starts. Included was Dubon’s third home run of the season. Slater’s home run came in the third inning.
Gausman left with what the Giants announced as “hip tightness,” giving way to Jarlin Garcia in the seventh, Zack Littell in the eighth and Jake McGee in the ninth. McGee gave up a two-run home run to Albert Pujols, his eighth of the season, but recorded his 12th save of the season.
The Dodgers didn’t score until the eighth inning, when Max Muncy hit a two-run home run off Littell, his 13th of the season.
Gausman left after throwing 72 pitches in six scoreless innings and was utterly dominant throughout. He threw 62 strikes and 10 balls, walked no one and struck out seven.
The final hitter Gausman faced was Matt Beaty, who hit a swinging bunt down the third base line. Gausman got to the ball and made a high-stress throw to first base for the third out, then appeared to be checking himself as he walked to the dugout.
After Gausman conferred with trainer Dave Groeschner, manager Gabe Kapler sent Jarlin Garcia to the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In the month of May, Gausman had a 0.72 earned run average in 37 innings, giving up 22 hits with six walks and 49 strikeouts.
Kershaw (7-4) departed having giving up more runs to the Giants (five) than in any of his 50 starts against a team he has beaten 24 times in his career. The Giants made him work, with Kershaw throwing 104 pitches before giving way to Joe Kelly in the seventh inning.
Gausman supported his own cause by slicing a run-scoring single to left in the fourth inning for a 5-0 lead.
The hit brought home Dubon, who opened the inning with a bunt single. Stephen Duggar walked, and one out later a ground out moved runners to second and third.
Slater, who hit a pair of home runs off Kershaw at Dodger Stadium last Aug. 8, did it again in the third inning. Leading off the inning, Slater hit 2-0 slider that was too high in the zone over the right center field fence to put the Giants up 4-0.
The Giants historical first inning against Kershaw started with a solid single to left by Austin Slater, followed by another single from Donovan Solano.
Both runners advanced on a wild pitch to Wilmer Flores, who struck out, with Slater coming home on a ground ball out to short by Evan Longoria.
Dubon was next, and he hit the first pitch he saw high and deep to left, giving it all the body language he could muster as the ball hit well up on the foul pole for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
After crossing home plate, Dubon mocked the sword sheathing celebration Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer used against the Giants when the two teams played at Oracle Park.
