SAN FRANCISCO – Rafael Devers muscled up and got nothing in the 10th inning.
The Los Angeles Dodgers failed to hit the ball hard against Spencer Bivins in the 11th yet broke the game open.
That’s how the the Giants will enter the All-Star break, pondering the breaks of baseball after a 5-2, 11-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park.
The Giants (52-45) will have a six-game deficit when play resumes on July 18 in the National League West. The Dodgers, winners of two straight after seven consecutive losses, are 58-39.
When it looked as if the Giants would go quietly, pinch-hitter Luis Matos tied it up with a two-run bolt to left center in the ninth.
Joey Lucchesi pitched a scoreless 10th for the Giants, with free runner Andy Pages getting no further than third base.
In the 11th, the Dodgers scored three times — a bloop run-scoring single by Freddie Freeman, an infield single on a chopper by Teoscar Hernandez which drove in a run, and a bloop RBI single to right by Andy Pages. That made Bivins (2-3), a hard-luck loser.
In the bottom of the 10th, Devers looked as if he’d sent the Giants home with a line drive to deep center with one out and runners at first and second. It left the bat at 106.1 miles per hour and carried 381 feet, but center fielder Andy Pages managed to track it down against the fence for the second out. Willy Adames grounded to third against Ben Casparius for the third out.
Down 2-0 in the ninth, the Giants electrified the home crowd when Matos, pinch-hitting for Mike Yastrzemski, hit a one-out, two-run home run to left center against Dodgers closer Tanner Scott to tie the game 2-2.
Matos’ homer, his fifth of the season, drove in Matt Chapman, who had a one-out single as the Giants went into the ninth with just three hits.
Yamamoto pitched seven shutout innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 91 pitches, 64 of them strikes, before a crowd of 41,048. He gave way to Alex Vesia in the eighth and Scott in the ninth.
Miguel Rojas homered for the Dodgers in the fifth inning, his fifth of the season.
Ray was done in favor of Ryan Walker after six innings, giving up two runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He threw 92 pitches, 54 of them strikes.
After retiring the first nine men in order on just 24 pitches (17 strikes), Ray walked Shohei Ohtani on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the fourth and then walked Mookie Betts on a 3-1 pitch.
Will Smith flied to shallow left, and Freddie Freeman followed with a first-pitch double to right, scoring Ohtani and sending Betts to third. Ray averted further trouble in a 26-pitch inning by striking out Teoscar Hernandez swinging and Andy Pages looking.
Ray had to work even harder in the fifth, which included a solo home run by Rojas to left field with one out. It took Ray 30 pitches to get out of the inning, which also included a single by Ohtani.
Rojas’ home run came on a full count and left the bat at 102.7 miles per hour and carried 383 feet, well behind Heliot Ramos’ attempt to climb the fence for a miracle catch.
Devers was 0-for-5 with two comebackers and a strikeout against Yamamoto and a strikeout against Vesia in the eighth. He is hitting .202 (18-for-89) in 25 games since joining the Giants by trade from the Boston Red Sox.
Walker, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Giants.
WEBB PONDERING
With Ray already out of the picture in terms of All-Star availability, Melvin said the status of starter Logan Webb is up in the air “depending on how he feels.”
Webb (9-6) started Friday night’s 8-7 win over the Dodgers, pitched 5 1/3 innings and throwing 91 pitches to get the win.
Melvin said he wouldn’t set the post-All-Star break rotation “until we know what he’s doing.”
Hayden Birdsong, who was skipped in favor of Ray to finish out the All-Star break, will go back into the rotation when the Giants resume play on July 18 in Toronto.
“It’s been a good little break for him,” Melvin said. “He’s available in the bullpen.”
Melvin said he hadn’t talked with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who is leading the National League team, about the usage of Webb and Rodriguez.
“I hope they use Randy for about five pitches and get him out,” Melvin said