LOS ANGELES -- Wednesday's finale at Dodger Stadium was a good day for a player who hopes to be a big part of the 2023 Giants. It was another bad day for the 2022 Giants.
Rookie infielder David Villar homered twice but the Giants lost 7-3. They dropped the series and now have lost 10 of their last 11 against the Dodgers. They finished 1-8 at Dodger Stadium this year, matching the lowest win percentage here in franchise history.
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With 100-degree weather this week, Dodger Stadium turned into Coors Field, and it once again was a launching pad in the finale. All six runs through eight close innings came on homers, with Villar driving in the first three runs for the Giants and Justin Turner hitting a three-run shot for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers went back on top in the bottom of the eighth. Austin Barnes found a hole for a leadoff single and Trea Turner drove him in with a rocket to left that sailed over Joc Pederson's head for a double. A few minutes later, Max Muncy -- who else -- broke the game open.
With a doubleheader on Thursday, Gabe Kapler let Zack Littell stay in for a second inning and face Freddie Freeman and Muncy after giving up a run.
That was a mistake, as Freeman walked and Muncy launched a three-run shot to right. The homer was his 21st against the Giants, including 13 the last two seasons.
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Villar Hit It So Far
No matter how Villar’s career turns out, he’ll always have Clayton Kershaw in his book. Villar got the Giants on the board in the fifth by smoking a slider the other way for a two-run shot, and he wasn’t done. He later took lefty Justin Bruihl out to center to tie the game in the seventh.
Villar had one career big league homer coming into this series but he hit three in three starts at Dodger Stadium. After a rough first month in the big leagues, his OPS is up to .777.
The Giants have been clear that this month is an audition for Villar, who showed plenty of power in Double-A last year and Triple-A this season. It’s early, but he’s looking like someone they can count on for 2023.
Under Pressure
Alex Cobb was working through traffic all day long, and for a while, he was doing a great job of it. He loaded the bases with no outs in the second and went 3-0 on Austin Barnes but escaped that jam unscathed.
Through four innings, the Dodgers had left eight runners on base, and Cobb was given a two-run lead in the fifth. He immediately gave it back.
Freeman led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and Muncy pushed a bunt down an open third base line, beating the shift. Turner finally brought the runners home by golfing a splitter over the wall in left-center.
Cobb lasted just one more batter and left with three earned on his line in 4 1/3 innings. Half of the 24 batters he faced reached base.
Part Of The Solution
One of the biggest issues for the Giants in June and July was left-handed relief, but Alex Young has helped stabilize that side of the bullpen. Young faced two batters with a runner on first in the sixth inning, striking out Freeman and getting Muncy to bounce out to second.
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Young now has a 2.45 ERA in 16 appearances for the Giants. Not bad for someone the Giants picked up from the Cleveland Guardians in July for just cash considerations.