LOS ANGELES (AP) — J.D. Martinez’s sacrifice fly drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers capitalized on two physical and one mental blunder by the San Francisco Giants to win 7-2 Thursday night in the series opener.
The Giants have dropped six of seven on their road trip to fall further out of the NL wild-card race.
Will Smith tripled off John Brebbia (3-1) and Martinez followed with the sac fly to right. Mike Yastrzemski wasn't that deep when he caught the ball flat-footed and then held it for a moment, apparently forgetting there were only two outs.
That gave Smith time enough to charge home for a 3-2 lead.
Two wild pitches by reliever Luke Jackson led to two runs for the NL West champion Dodgers in the seventh.
Jackson's pitch went all the way to the backstop, allowing Chris Taylor to score from third after Taylor reached on third baseman J.D. Davis' throwing error. James Outman, who doubled, moved up to third.
Outman scored on another wild pitch by Jackson, extending the Dodgers' lead to 5-2.
Freddie Freeman singled in the eighth to tie his career high of 199 hits set last year. He then stole his 21st base of the season and scored on Martinez's 95th RBI for a 6-2 lead.
Shelby Miller (2-0) got the victory with one inning of relief.
Former Dodger Joc Pederson homered 430 feet into straightaway center off reliever Alex Vesia to tie the game at 2-all in the sixth.
Dodgers rookie Emmet Sheehan retired the first 10 batters he faced, striking out eight. Wilmer Flores walked on a 3-2 pitch before Pederson grounded into a double play to end the fourth.
Sheehan loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth. He hit Yastrzemski and walked Marco Luciano and Blake Sabol back-to-back. After a visit from pitching coach Mark Prior, Sheehan walked Tyler Fitzgerald on eight pitches to force in the Giants' first run.
With the bases loaded again, Vesia replaced Sheehan and struck out pinch-hitter Davis to end the long inning.
Sheehan allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings, struck out a season-high nine and walked four.
The Dodgers led 2-0 on Kiké Hernández's sacrifice fly in the third and Martinez's 30th homer in the fourth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford (right hamstring strain) went on the IL.
UP NEXT
LHP Sean Manaea (6-6, 4.82 ERA) goes for the Giants on Friday. The Dodgers had yet to name a starter.
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