SAN FRANCISCO — Zombies have invaded the National League playoff race.
The San Francisco Giants were left for dead – by their own hand – at the trade deadline when they were sellers. Now, they are the hottest team in baseball with 14 wins in their past 18 games, bubbling back up into contention for a wild-card playoff spot.
The Dodgers found out for themselves Friday night. Unable to tip a pitchers’ duel between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Verlander in their direction, the Dodgers lost on Patrick Bailey’s grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Giants a 5-1 victory and snapping the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak.
The Dodgers’ NL West lead remained 2½ games, because the second-place San Diego Padres lost to the Colorado Rockies, 4-2.
Yamamoto flipped the script from his near no-hitter last weekend in Baltimore.
In his first start since carrying that no-hitter into the ninth inning, the Dodgers right-hander gave up a hit and a run in the first inning on Friday – then no more. He retired 20 consecutive batters through seven innings after allowing that lone hit, waiting patiently for some offensive support.
Verlander has been a big part of the Giants’ resurgence, posting a 2.44 ERA over his past 10 starts.
The 42-year-old is no longer the overwhelming force of nature he could be during his prime. His fastball averaged just 93.3 mph on Friday, but his slider induced nine swings-and-misses and an average exit velocity of 72.7 mph when the Dodgers managed to put it in play.
The Giants got him a lead with some help in the first inning.
Yamamoto walked Rafael Devers with one out, going from 0-and-2 to a full count and letting him get away on eight pitches. Willy Adames followed with a drive to the wall in left-center field. Center fielder Andy Pages bobbled the ball, allowing Devers to score from first on the play.
Yamamoto channeled his Baltimore no-hit form after that and didn’t allow another baserunner. Over his past two starts, he has allowed two hits while striking out 20 in 15⅔ innings.
The Dodgers finally dented Verlander when Conforto led off the seventh inning with a home run to tie the score.
It’s a familiar feeling for Yamamoto. In his 28 starts this season, the Dodgers have managed three runs or fewer in 14. They have scored a total of 57 runs while Yamamoto has been in the game.
The Giants were poised to win the game in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases on a throwing error by Mookie Betts, a single by Devers and an intentional walk. But pinch-runner Grant McCray made the ill-advised decision to tag up on a shallow fly ball to center field and was an easy out on a perfect throw from Pages.
The Dodgers ran themselves out of their Manfred-made scoring opportunity in the top of the 10th when Ben Rortvedt was out tagging up from second and trying to advance on a fly out to right.
The Giants settled things in the bottom of the 10th when Tanner Scott walked two batters (one intentionally) to load the bases with one out. Bailey settled things when he drove a 1-and-0 fastball into the left-field seats.
More to come on this story.