Logan Webb on Friday pumped his fists as he set down a star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers lineup all game long, then raised his pitching hand in appreciation after a masterful post-season debut.
Webb struck out 10 while working into the eighth inning, Buster Posey hit a two-run homer that held up and the 107-win San Francisco Giants blanked defending World Series champion Los Angeles 4-0 on Friday night in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Those two Giants standouts summed up the year perfectly for the National League West champs: A brilliant performance by the young right-hander supported by a veteran catcher who has shined on the big stage so many times before.
Photo: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY
Webb credited Posey’s presence behind the plate in helping him excel.
“Just having him back there, honestly,” Webb said. “He’ll calm me down.”
Kris Bryant and Brandon Crawford also homered to back a combined five-hitter by Webb and a pair of relievers.
Everybody knows this matchup between century-old rivals takes this best-of-five playoff series to another level. They finished with baseball’s two best records, the division coming down to the final day, as the Dodgers wound up one game back with 106 wins, ending their run of eight consecutive West crowns.
That meant Los Angeles had to overcome the St Louis Cardinals in the wild-card game on Wednesday night then fly straight to the Bay Area, where a loud crowd packed Oracle Park.
“The energy today was awesome,” Webb said.
Webb waved his pitching hand walking off to a rousing ovation in the eighth after a two-out single by Mookie Betts. He did not walk a batter while outpitching Dodgers ace Walker Buehler.
“He was out there pretending like it was a game in the backyard,” Bryant said.
Webb joined just two other pitchers to ever win a post-season start with 10 or more strikeouts, no walks and no runs — Jake Arrieta for the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 7, 2015, against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cliff Lee on Oct. 18, 2009, against the Dodgers.
In Florida, Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez was not sure how well he would run, but he thought his sprained left ankle would be fine in the batter’s box. Lucky for him, Boston took their time rounding the bases all night, while turning an early deficit against the Tampa Bay Rays into a blowout win.
Martinez hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in his return to the lineup and the Red Sox backed Tanner Houck’s clutch relief effort with a franchise postseason record five home runs, rallying past the Rays 14-6 to even their American League Division Series at one game each.
Game 3 of the best-of-five showdown is tomorrow in Boston.
Kike Hernandez had five of Boston’s 20 hits, including a homer and three doubles, becoming Boston’s first player with four extra-base hits in a post-season game.
In Houston, the Carlos Correa hit a two-run double during a five-run seventh inning and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 9-4 for a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series.
Kyle Tucker homered and drove in three runs as the Astros moved within one win of their fifth straight appearance in the American League Championship Series. Alex Bregman had two hits and scored twice, and Jose Altuve made a couple of big plays. Game 3 of the best-of-five series is tomorrow night in Chicago.
In Milwaukee, Rowdy Tellez spoiled Charlie Morton’s gem with a two-run homer in the seventh inning and threw out a runner at home plate, leading the Brewers over the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Corbin Burnes, Adrian Houser and Josh Hader combined on a four-hitter that gave Milwaukee the early lead in this best-of-five series.
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