Scott Bandura’s Arm Kept the Giants Close. The Lineup Couldn’t Answer

Scott Bandura’s throw ended the Dodgers’ third inning when Will Smith tried to turn a single into something more. Smith’s liner reached left field for a single, but his attempt to take second ended when Bandura’s throw reached Marcelo Mayer. The play survived a Dodgers challenge, gave Bandura his second outfield assist and preserved Los Angeles’ 2-0 lead at Oracle Park.

San Francisco’s defense and pitching kept the deficit at two runs through the six innings that remained. The lineup never produced the swing.

Bandura’s first assist came in the second. Enrique Hernández singled to left and was out at second on Bandura’s throw. One inning later, Smith followed a single with the same unsuccessful attempt to advance. Two hits that might have created extra-base situations instead became outs, and both plays mattered because the Dodgers had already scored their only runs.

The two runs had come in the second: Teoscar Hernández homered to begin the inning, and Andy Pages added his own home run after Max Muncy’s lineout. Those home runs were separated by an out, rather than arriving as consecutive swings, but they supplied all of the Dodgers’ runs.

San Francisco would spend the rest of the evening trying to make two runs feel less decisive.

Yunior Marte gave the Giants a chance to do that. He worked five innings, allowed six hits and one walk, struck out four and surrendered no runs after the second. The relief work was even cleaner.

Sam Hentges retired Los Angeles in order in the sixth, including a strikeout of Smith. Joel Kuhnel did the same in the seventh, and Dylan Smith recorded three outs in the eighth.

Tristan Beck faced the only real defensive wobble in the ninth. Freddie Freeman reached when first baseman Brett Harris committed an error, then Smith singled to center. Kyle Tucker’s grounder became a double play, with Jonah Cox, Christian Koss and Harris involved; Freeman moved to third, Smith was erased at second and Tucker was retired at first.

Teoscar Hernández then popped out in foul territory. The Giants had allowed two runners aboard without allowing another run, which is exactly the sort of work that leaves an offense a reasonable opening.

There was no answer because Los Angeles’ pitching made sure the opening stayed theoretical. Tarik Skubal threw seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits, issuing no walks and striking out 10. Roki Sasaki struck out two in the eighth, and Tanner Scott struck out two in the ninth. The Dodgers’ staff faced 29 San Francisco plate appearances and never had to deal with a walk.

That absence of free baserunners was central. The Giants had only three hits, so every trip to first had to come through contact. Bandura supplied one in the third, but after Christian Koss moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt, Jonah Cox struck out. Bandura was San Francisco’s only runner to reach second, and no Giant reached third.

The seventh inning offered a smaller version of the same problem. Bo Davidson singled with two outs, but Andrew Knizner followed with a flyout. San Francisco did not force a multi-runner inning against Skubal, and the starter finished his seven frames having faced just 23 batters. The 14 strikeouts—seven more than Los Angeles had—made the offense’s margin for error microscopic.

Bandura’s defensive value should not be buried beneath that offensive failure. His two throws removed two Dodgers runners who had reached safely, while Marte and the bullpen prevented the deficit from expanding. Those contributions kept the game technically available without making the loss any less complete.

The ninth closed the matter quickly. Christian Koss was called out on strikes, and a Giants challenge confirmed the call. Cox then struck out, with a foul tip ending his plate appearance.

Harris followed with a lineout to right, ending the shutout with nobody aboard. Bandura had done his part to keep San Francisco near the Dodgers; the lineup finished the night without finding a way to make that proximity count.

Sources

Official game data

Official game box score