The last time Matt Moore faced the Dodgers, he was one out away from a no-hitter. This time, he lasted a single inning.
The Dodgers smashed the Giants 8-2 on Wednesday, knocking Moore out of the game after a five run first inning, extending their lead in the NL West to six games over San Francisco.
The loss spoiled a prime opportunity for the Giants to gain ground in the NL Wild Card race, with both the Cardinals and Mets also losing on Wednesday. The teams remain in a three way tie for the final two spots. San Francisco has 10 games remaining, including three more against the Dodgers in a season ending three game series at AT&T Park
After making headlines with his playful trolling of Bumgarner on Tuesday, Yasiel Puig was the player of the game on Wednesday, breaking things open with a three run homer in the first inning, and making spectacular over the shoulder catch to end a potential Giants rally in the fourth.
Moore faced only 11 batters, but was tagged for seven hits and six runs with a walk and a hit batsman. Moore had arguably the best outing of his career at Chavez Ravine last month, going eight and two-thirds innings before a bloop single dashed his no-hit opportunity.
Angel Pagan’s RBI single in the first inning was a promising start for the sputtering San Francisco offense, but was quickly erased by an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single in the bottom half, followed by Puig’s three run blast to give the Dodgers an early 4-1 advantage. Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda added an insurance run with an RBI single of his own, before Kike Hernandez was thrown out at third, ending Moore’s first inning horror show.
Moore was unable to regain his control in the second, plunking Howie Kendrick to open the inning. Kyle Seager followed with a single to advance Kendrick to third, causing manager Bruce Bochy to pull his starter 45 pitches in.
Matt Cain wasn’t much better in his long relief appearance, allowing an inherited run to score in the top of the second, and giving up two runs of his own on a third inning RBI double by Kendrick.
Neither was Jake Peavy, who gave up a a pinch hit RBI single by Andrew Toles in his only inning of work.
Maeda was solid for the Dodgers in his 16th win of the season, striking out six in five innings, but was pulled from the game early by manager Dave Roberts due to an elevated pitch count.
Ehire Adrianza hit his third home run of the season with a solo blast in the second, while Brandon Belt added an RBI double in the sixth.
The Giants begin a four game set in San Diego on Thursday, with Albert Suarez (3-4 4.16 ERA) facing off against the Padres’ Edwin Jackson (4-6 6.00 ERA). The Padres have won six straight games against San Francisco, and swept the Giants in a three game series last week at AT&T Park. First pitch is at 7:10 on KNBR 680.
Notes
* Injury update: Brandon Crawford is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a dislocated pinky in Tuesday’s game on a headfirst slide into third base. Johnny Cueto strained his left groin in the same game and is expected to miss his next start against San Diego on Sunday. The Grade 1 strain is mild, and manager Bruce Bochy guessed that Cueto may only miss one week.
* Bochy as well as the Giants’ Jake Peavy and Hunter Strickland, visited legendary Dodgers’ announcer Vin Scully in his broadcast booth before his final Giants/Dodgers call at Dodgers Stadium. Scully will call his last game on October 2nd, when the Giants face the Dodgers in the season finale at AT&T Park. ESPN broadcast Scully’s call during the fourth inning.