SAN FRANCISCO — It’s late April, and while you wouldn’t normally call any game a “must-win,” the Dodgers seemed to feel a sense of urgency this week. They kicked off Thursday with a strong 16-8 record, sitting second in the majors.
Yet, after dropping four of their last five games, manager Dave Roberts was clearly looking for a turnaround, especially with the looming threat of getting swept by the Giants.
“We have to win today,” he emphasized before the final match of the series at Oracle Park.
And, in their 3-0 victory, that newfound focus was palpable, shaping both Roberts’ coaching decisions and the team’s performance.
He decided to mix things up, placing the struggling Kyle Tucker at the bottom of the batting order while still keeping Shohei Ohtani in the game, despite his lengthy outing the previous night.
Roberts hoped this shake-up would reignite their momentum after a tough stretch and salvage a road trip that had, to this point, not gone well.
“I think things will get better,” he noted, and perhaps, that was just the lift the team needed.
The Dodgers didn’t exactly set the world on fire at the plate, but Tyler Glasnow stepped up, throwing eight scoreless innings in what was one of his finest performances with the team.
Meanwhile, the bats came alive when necessary, with the Giants’ star Logan Webb struggling, allowing three runs over seven innings.
In both scoring plays, the Dodgers employed smart base running and situational hitting. Max Muncy walked in the second inning, and Andy Page contributed with a grounder to prevent a double play, before Dalton Rushing brought him in with an RBI.
Then, in the fourth, Tucker finally snapped his slump with a leadoff double, followed by another double from Muncy that drove him in. Muncy scored when third base coach Dino Ebel risked testing the left field’s weak defense with an aggressive send, leading to an RBI single from Hye-sung Kim.
With a comfortable 3-0 advantage, Glasnow cruised. After a clean first inning with no walks, he struck out nine batters and allowed just one hit, which was erased by a double play.
In the ninth, Tanner Scott got the chance to secure the team’s first save opportunity following closer Edwin Diaz’s injury, clinching a win that Roberts deemed essential.
What it means
The Dodgers wrapped up this Denver-San Francisco road trip with a 3-4 record, but they picked up some much-needed confidence along the way.
Now, they’re just one win shy of the league-leading Braves and avoided giving the Giants (11-14) a sweep—something that hadn’t happened in the rivalry since 2023.
Who is hot
Glasnow is becoming a standout player, growing more impressive with each outing.
On Thursday, he leaned heavily on his sinker, which he’s been reintegrating into his pitching since joining Los Angeles three years ago. He threw the pitch almost half the time he was on the mound.
His mix of pitches, including a slider and a four-seamer, allowed him to strike out 14 consecutive batters, tying his season high with nine strikeouts across the trip, he allowed only one run in 17 innings, boasting an ERA of 2.45.
Who is not?
Tucker managed to avoid the cold streak conversation with a couple of hits but others weren’t as fortunate.
Teoscar Hernandez struggled, going 0-for-4, bringing his dismal total to 2-for-24 in recent games, putting his batting average at .244.
To the next
No rest for the Dodgers this week—they’re headed home Friday to kick off a weekend series against the Cubs. Emmett Sheehan (2-0, 5.85 ERA) will face right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA).
