What a game! Gabe Kapler’s decision to put Buster in to lead off the ninth against Kenley Jansen, knowing Posey has had success against him, was inspired managing. Buster roped a single and shook him. Then Wilmer Flores – who had been 0 for 8 against Jansen – blasted a homer into the Hollywood night and the Giants took the lead, 3 – 2. The Giants drew four walks off the shaken Jansen and his replacement Victor Gonzalez in the top of the ninth to add another run.

Then came ultimate redemption. After the fiasco last night, when he simply couldn’t find the strike zone, Tyler Rogers came out focused. He had a one, two, three, bottom of the ninth to get his eleventh save of the year and cap a complete turnaround performance by the bullpen!

Julio Urias owned us again. Yaz popped him for a solo shot and then he just shut. us. down. for seven innings. Logan Webb hung right in there with him for five and only gave up three hits and two runs. It was the second solid start for Webb since his return from the IL. He had five strikeouts but gave up three bases on balls.

Jay Jackson came in to relive Webb for the sixth, and he STRUCK OUT THE SIDE! and it was the meat of the Dodgers’ order! This guy is 🔥 flames. Littel was solid, hitless, scoreless. Alvarez managed the eighth without incident and got the win. The ‘pen kept it 2-1 until the ninth. No small ask against the Dodgers.

So the bullpen rebounded brilliantly from a collapse, uh, again. As much as I complain about their inconsistency, I must admit that when it comes together it looks, as friend of the blog Marc said, ‘clinical.’ The trouble is the whiplash from the anhedonia and not knowing which ‘pen we’re going to get on any given night.

The game-winning homer was Wilmer Flores’ 100th Career Home Run and the Giants major-league-leading 144th. Wow! What a win! What a turnaround … what a difference a day makes ….

whew!

and we do it all again tomorrow.

Go Giants!

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