LOS ANGELES — For the first time since June 12, the Giants beat the Dodgers.
San Francisco had lost eight straight games against the Dodgers before Monday — its longest such streak within a single season since 1979. During those two series sweeps, LA outscored the Giants 50 to 23. Frustrations boiled over to the point of manager Gabe Kapler’s ejection.
But for a night, the Giants pressed pause on Los Angeles’ ownage. Lewis Brinson, J.D. Davis, Thairo Estrada and David Villar each sent homers through the humid Los Angeles night. Logan Webb battled for a quality start, Brinson added another and San Francisco’s bullpen did the rest.
The Giants aren’t playing for the playoffs anymore. When they fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, they could’ve packed it up. But the Giants (65-68) responded with an onslaught of four home runs in the span of 30 minutes and fifth to match their season high in a 7-4 victory. The five homers also ties San Francisco’s franchise record for a game in Dodger Stadium.
“We’re taking September very seriously,” Kapler said postgame. “It’s an important opportunity for us to build confidence for this group. We see it as a foundation for 2023.”
Andrew Heaney brought a 2.12 ERA and seven homers allowed into Monday’s game. He didn’t even face the most potent lineup of SF right-handed hitters, with Austin Slater (finger) and Joey Bart (concussion) unavailable.
The Giants didn’t need their A-team. Brinson, in his fourth game as a Giant, sent a towering blast into the center field netting in his second matchup with Heaney. It left his bat at 103 mph and soared 429 feet in the air.
“There’s some damage in there,” Kapler said of Brinson’s swing pregame.
Moments after Brinson’s first homer as a Giant, Davis — the deadline acquisition — launched a go-ahead home run to left-center.
Davis’ five home runs in 24 games with the Giants are already more than his four in four months with the Mets.
The next inning, Estrada and Villar joined in on the fun. Your turn, my turn. The Giants smoked as many home runs in four innings as Heaney allowed in his first eight starts.
Estrada’s blast, his 12th, led off the fourth inning and gave the Giants a 4-2 lead. Then David Villar, who had been stuck on one big-league homer for 21 games, lofted a first-pitch fastball the other way for a two-run homer.
Kapler spent much of his pregame interview session opining about Villar. By dominating Double-A last year and doing the same for the River Cats this year, the 25-year-old earned a runway to prove his worth to the organization in September. The Giants believe in his hit tool and view him as a real piece going forward, Kapler said.
“We want to see as much as David as possible,” Kapler said. “It’s a play for tonight, but it’s also a play for the next several years…There’s going to come a point in time where David has to take control and seize this moment. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Going the other way for your team’s fourth homer of the game in Dodger Stadium and admiring it down the first base line — moment seized.
The four home runs erased a 2-0 deficit caused when Villar couldn’t corral Evan Longoria’s throw and Freddie Freeman beat Logan Webb for a two-run shot in the first inning. Villar got replaced after his home run for defensive purposes — a managerial decision that paid off in the fifth.
Webb was laboring, but still struck out four and walked none through four three-run innings. Louder contact came in the fifth, but his teammates picked him up. Bryce Johnson, Brandon Crawford and Austin Wynns connected for a run-saving relay throw. Wilmer Flores made a Mr. Fantastic stretch at first base. Evan Longoria, playing through a hamstring injury, tested his vertical leap for the third out.
From there, Yunior Marte allowed a home run but got four outs. He set the table for lefty specialist Scott Alexander, who fanned both Freeman and Max Muncy.
Brinson, the former top prospect trying to prove he belongs, crushed his second homer of the night into right-center. His second of the night gave the Giants a season-high five for the game and handed closer Camilo Doval three runs to work with.
“The most important thing: we’ve got to win,” Brinson said postgame.
Not since Oct. 3, 2004 had the Giants hit five home runs in a game at Dodger Stadium. They ended a historic losing streak with some history of their own.