© Gary A. Vasquez | USA Today
What would a Giants vs. Dodgers game be without some drama? In what was an otherwise quiet pitching duel, the Giants took a second straight game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a physical, 2-1 win.
The game was mostly quiet until the seventh inning when Yasiel Puig came to bat with the Dodgers trailing 1-0. After fouling a ball back, Puig yelled at himself and snapped his bat out of midair as he’d done the night prior.
After grabbing the bat, Giants catcher Nick Hundley said something to Puig. Puig then turned around and walked toward Hundley as the two squared off. They came face-to-face as Puig then shoved Hundley back twice. The benches then cleared rapidly and Puig landed a punch on Hundley as Hundley was being backed off by Dodgers’ first coach Paul Lombard. Both players were ejected and Brandon Belt replaced Buster Posey at first, while Posey jumped behind the plate.
The Giants jumped on the scoreboard early thanks to an important single from Alen Hanson. With runners at first and second, two outs and the pitcher’s spot up next, Hanson ripped a single to center field. Giants pitcher Andy Suarez grounded out in his next at-bat but managed to reach on a single in the fifth inning.
Sam Dyson recorded a pair of fly ball outs in the eighth before allowing a run. First, Justin Turner got his third double of the night to give the Dodgers a runner in scoring position with two outs. Then Dyson left a fastball high for Manny Machado, who singled to left-center field to tie the game at one.
In the ninth, the Giants took advantage a great chance to take the lead after two leadoff singles from Evan Longoria and Belt. But Austin Slater wasted a potential sacrifice bunt that resulted in a force at third, and Steven Duggar struck out. Then, Alen Hanson, who had the Giants’ only other RBI in the game, ripped a single to center field, scoring Belt, and nearly scoring Slater, who was tagged out at home, giving the Giants their 2-1 lead.
This came after a fantastic performance for Suarez, who had previously pitched five games with a combined 7.43 ERA. All it took for Suarez to end that slump was a shutout game against the Giants’ rivals. Suarez allowed just two hits through six innings to the Dodgers.
The only two hits Suarez allowed were a pair of doubles to Justin Turner. But when it mattered most, Suarez got him out. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Suarez struck Turner out looking, then got outs from a pair of hard-hit balls by Manny Machado and Matt Kemp. While Suarez allowed a number of hard-hit balls – most of which fell to Austin Slater in left field, who had five putouts – none of them caused any damage.
The win moves the Giants (61-60) back over .500.