The San Francisco Giants on Friday clinched at least a share of their first National League West title since 2012 by matching a franchise record with their 106th win, beating the San Diego Padres 3-0 before turning their attention to the Dodgers’ game against Milwaukee.
Darin Ruf hit a first-inning home run, while Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI single to send San Francisco on their way, and then the Giants waited on Los Angeles’ result against NL Central champions the Brewers.
However, Los Angeles extended the NL West race for at least another day, rallying past the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Pinch-hitter Matt Beaty launched a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning to help the defending World Series champions maintain their increasingly slim bid for a ninth consecutive division title with their 104th win.
The first-placed Giants saw their magic number fall to one on the Dodgers’ result. The Giants lead Los Angeles by two games.
San Francisco went through a quick congratulatory handshake line on the diamond after their game.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Then, the big screen scoreboard started airing the Brewers-Dodgers game and fans were invited to stay put.
In San Francisco, LaMonte Wade Jr added a sacrifice fly as the Giants (106-54) continued to leave their mark in the franchise’s storied history.
They were hardly fancied to win in the talented West, with the Dodgers and the Padres considered the favorites.
Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY
After going 29-31 last season in Gabe Kapler’s first year as manager to becoming contenders again at last, the group delivered a stunning turnaround.
The Giants navigated through injuries to many key players for long stretches. Brandon Belt, sidelined now by a fractured left thumb, hit 29 home runs, and shone alongside fellow World Series veterans Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey.
Now, they believe they are poised for another deep October run like those champion Giants teams of 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Photo: AFP
Posey played in his fourth straight game behind the plate, to which Kapler said: “Buster wants to be in there every day at this point.”
The bullpen delivered again, and newcomers like Wade consistently came through.
Anthony DeSclafani (13-7) struck out three and did not walk a batter, allowing four hits over five scoreless innings. The right-hander won for just the second time in eight starts since Aug. 13.
Camilo Doval, the fourth Giants reliever, finished for his third save.
Fernando Tatis Jr was thrown out at home to end the sixth and San Diego couldn’t capitalize on nine hits for Pedro Avila (0-1) in his second major league appearance and first since 2019.
In Los Angeles, the Dodgers still have something to play for, although they might be doing it without Clayton Kershaw, who exited his start with left forearm discomfort in the second inning after 42 pitches.
It is the same injury that kept him on the injured list from July 4 to Sept. 12.
“It’s a tough blow,” Kershaw said. “Just felt something there in my elbow, I don’t know what it is. Kind of the same thing I’ve been dealing with. It got bad enough to where I couldn’t keep going.”
Kershaw allowed three runs and two hits in 1-2/3 innings of his final regular-season start.
The left-hander struck out one and walked none.
He is 10-8 with a 3.38 ERA, his highest mark since a 4.26 ERA as a rookie in 2008.
“Chances are, it’s not looking good for October right now,” he said. “I know we’re going to do something special this year and I wanted to be part of that.”
Blake Treinen (6-5) got the win in relief, giving up one hit.
Kenley Jansen got four outs to earn his 38th save, the eighth pitcher used by the Dodgers.
Pinch-hitter Matt Beaty went deep against Jandel Gustave for a 6-5 lead.
It was the Dodgers’ 14th homer in their past three games.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the seventh inning.
Gustave (1-2) hit Mookie Betts and Corey Seager singled.
They moved up on Gustave’s wild pitch and Trea Turner was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Betts scored on Gustave’s second wild pitch that moved up Turner and Seager, who scored on Max Muncy’s infield single that made it 8-5.
Turner’s fourth career grand slam came off Eric Lauer and tied it at 5-5 in the fifth inning.
Austin Barnes, pinch-hitter Albert Pujols and Betts singled to load the bases.
Turner hit his 27th homer — ninth with the Dodgers — to left-center with two outs.
Turner’s solo shot in the first inning landed in the lower right-field seats with two outs, extending his hitting streak to 17 games.
His five RBIs were a season high.
“Trea got me a little bit. He took some good swings,” Lauer said. “The first one was exactly where I wanted to throw it and he just got to it. The changeup was obviously the worst pitch I threw.”
In Seattle, the Mariners need help from other teams to see their 20-year post-season drought end after they lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Angels.
Seattle dropped into a tie with the Toronto Blue Jays, both of them one game behind the Boston Red Sox — who beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 — in the race for the second wild card in the American League.
The Mariners had won 10 of their past 11 and started the day knowing that a sweep of the Angels would at the very least force a tiebreaker game tomorrow.
In Toronto, Steven Matz pitched seven solid innings to win his fifth straight decision, while Danny Jansen homered and drove in three runs as the Blue Jays kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4.
The New York Yankees — who lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-4 — still occupy the first wild-card slot, one game ahead of the Red Sox.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ Astros 6, Athletics 8
‧ Braves 3, Mets 4
‧ Cardinals 4, Cubs 3
‧ Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 9
‧ Marlins 0, Phillies 5
‧ Pirates 9, Reds 2
‧ Rangers 6, Indians 9
‧ Royals 11, Twins 6
‧ White Sox, 8, Tigers 1
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