USADaily - Clayton Kershaw vs. Madison Bumgarner was as good as advertised, but this one ended with both as spectators.
The Los Angeles Dodgers weren't all that good with runners in scoring position, but did enough for a 3-2 victory on Saturday over the San Francisco Giants in a game soaked by rain. The Dodgers tied it in the ninth inning on a ground ball from Adrian Gonzalez and won it thanks to an RBI double from Charlie Culberson in the 10th. Kenley Jansen picked up his second save.
A pair of home runs from the bottom of the order, including one from Bumgarner himself, kept the Giants afloat until the late innings.
Charlie Culberson and the Dodgers had reason to celebrate in the rain Saturday after Culberson's RBI double in the 10th gave Los Angeles to winning margin over the rival Giants. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
The Dodger, who went 2-for-21 with runners in scoring position, just avoided a third consecutive defeat after three consecutive victories in San Diego to start the season.
Since coming to the Bay Area, the Dodgers lost on Thursday when the pitching imploded in the late innings, couldn't hang on for a victory Friday when their starter took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and were on the ropes on Saturday with their ace on the mound.
Bumgarner lasted six innings, throwing 102 pitches in the process. He gave up one run on six hits, with eight strikeouts and a walk. Kershaw gave up two runs on four hits over eight innings, with five strikeouts and a walk.
Bumgarner, who is the only pitcher to ever hit a home run off Kershaw, now has two in two seasons. Only three players have multiple home runs off Kershaw since the start of the 2014 season (playoffs included), with Daniel Murphy and Troy Tulowitzki joining Bumgarner on that list.
The Dodgers had their chances, loading the bases twice in the first three innings, but scored just once, when Scott Van Slyke brought home a run after he was hit by a pitch. Van Slyke actually injured his back on a swing during the at-bat and was removed from the game.
The Dodgers doubled to lead off an inning four times, but none of those base runners scored. Their run in the 10th inning came after a one-out double from Corey Seager and Culberson was able to follow with his own two-base hit. Culberson, who started the game at shortstop, finished it in left field.
SOURCE
