Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — Among the luggage the Giants packed for their Southern California jaunt, there were plenty of bats, but a sword, too.
A team that talks a lot about doing damage has not delivered a critical hit, but it has racked up a bunch of hits that amounted to an unmistakable message: The Giants are not going away.
After dropping the first four games to the Dodgers and inspiring plenty of worry at least externally, the Giants have loudly responded by taking three straight, the final a 5-4 win at Dodger Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 18,155 that finished off a three-of-four series victory. There was plenty of offense against Clayton Kershaw, there was a clear ace on the mound who was not Kershaw (although there is also some new Kevin Gausman concern), there was jab at Trevor Bauer even if he was not in action, and there was a Giants bullpen holding on for dear life.
The win moves the Giants (33-20) half a game behind the Padres in the NL West and clear of the reigning champs by two games. Considering the state of the Giants a week ago, when the Dodgers were sweeping them out of San Francisco, the turn has been abrupt. Suddenly the Giants have won five of six.
Sunday’s tone was set quickly and memorably in a moment that will resonate and likely prompt a back-and-forth that will be worth watching. Against the legendary Kershaw, the Giants struck immediately, with Austin Slater and Donovan Solano singling back to back and an Evan Longoria ground out knocking in Slater. Then Mauricio Dubon saw a first-pitch four-seamer that he turned on for the hardest hit of his major league career, at 107.1 mph off the bat. He watched it from home plate, knowing it was either gone or foul, and his question was answered when it clanked off the foul pole.
It’s understandable if you missed it — both the scabbard and sword were invisible. But upon touching home, he pantomimed sheathing his weapon, the same celebration Bauer performed upon striking out Alex Dickerson last week. En garde.
Dubon blasts one off Kershaw, then trolls the Dodgers with the sword celebration after crossing home plate ? pic.twitter.com/ttisj1oJqe
— KNBR (@KNBR) May 30, 2021
The Giants added on from there, but they didn’t need to. If Gausman can do this against the Dodgers offense — who, for their part, were lacking Mookie Betts — whom can’t he do this against?
He was as good as he has been as a Giant, but he was too brief. The Giants removed him after six scoreless innings with left hip tightness, the club said. His last pitch induced a dribbler that Gausman chased down the third-base line, collected, turned and fired. It’s possible the play triggered something.
Before he was lifted, he was efficient and overpowering. Of his 72 pitches, just 10 were balls. He struck out seven and let up just two hits without a walk. The Dodgers’ lineup did not have Betts but did have Cody Bellinger back, but its power was muted.
Gausman’s calling card this season has been his performance with runners in scoring position. But the Dodgers only got one runner on second against him — Gavin Lux in the second inning. The ensuing strikeout and groundout mean opponents are now 1-for-39 with runners in scoring position against Gausman this season. Despite the low pitch count, he finished with 16 whiffs induced.
Gausman lowered his ERA to 1.40, which is behind just Jacob deGrom, Brandon Woodruff and Lance Lynn among qualified pitchers.
After Gausman, there were high-stress innings. Jarlin Garcia, who has been brilliant since he returned from the IL early this month, got through the seventh. Zack Littell got the eighth and surrendered a two-run shot to Max Muncy, who has slugged five — five! — against the Giants this year in 23 at-bats. Jake McGee threw wildly of first for an error, then surrendered a two-run shot to Albert Pujols. There was plenty of sweating, but he finally nailed down his 12th save of the year.
They could have been just innings to eat, but the Giants couldn’t make it a true blowout; they had the bases loaded without an out in the sixth, but Joe Kelly struck out both Evan Longoria and Dubon, and Victor Gonzalez came on and struck out Steven Duggar.
The Giants’ damage was done earlier. After Dubon’s blast, Austin Slater knocked his third career home run off Kershaw, who allowed five runs in six innings. Slater’s blast to right-center was his third in five games, and with more opportunities for at-bats because Darin Ruf is not taking up righty at-bats in left field, he has stepped up.
So have the Giants, who have won five of nine against the Padres and three of seven against the Dodgers. They are not just fattening up on bad teams, and the NL West race is on.