Giants Edge Dodgers 8-7 in Thrilling Back-and-Forth Matchup

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 on Friday night, marking the Dodgers’ seventh consecutive loss.

The Giants were propelled by a strong offensive showing, which included a second-inning home run from Shohei Ohtani and a critical two-run triple from Jung Hoo Lee in the fifth. This victory allowed the Giants to inch closer to the first-place Dodgers, reducing their deficit to four games in the NL West.

Ohtani’s impressive night featured a home run that sailed 410 feet into McCovey Cove, bringing his season total to 32. “It was great to see the ball leave my bat like that,” Ohtani said after the game. “We really needed this win.”

Dodgers pitcher Dustin May struggled, giving up seven earned runs over just 4.2 innings. The turning point for the Giants came in the fifth when Ohtani led off with a home run, following Lee’s two-run triple the previous inning.

Despite battling back from an early six-run deficit, the Dodgers managed to score five runs but ran out of time. “We showed fight, but we just can’t afford to dig ourselves into these holes,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

The Giants’ victory was secured by closer Camilo Doval, who recorded his 15th save after stranding the tying run on base in the ninth. “That was a big win for us, especially against our rivals,” Doval noted.

Hoping to break their losing streak, the Dodgers must regroup as they face the Giants again on Saturday, with Ohtani taking the mound in another highly anticipated matchup.