The Dodgers beat the Giants by a score of 3-1 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night in the first game of a brief two-game series – the first game of what will be 19 games during the 2022 regular season. And though the game was a typical down-to-the-wire game in one of the greatest rivalries in all of professional sports, all three of the Dodgers runs were the result of two wild pitches.

With two outs in the bottom of the second inning and runners on first and second base, 29-year-old Giants left-hander Carlos Rodón, who is having a stellar season thus far, uncorked a rare wild pitch, allowing 31-year-old Dodgers designated hitter Max Muncy and 26-year-old Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger – both of whom walked – to take third and second base, respectively. On the fourth pitch of his at-bat and on an1-2 count, 31-year-old Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor lined a single to left-center field. Although Muncy undoubtedly would have scored from second base anyway, but for Rodón’s wild pitch, Bellinger probably would not have scored from first. Regardless, the record books will forever credit CT-3 with two RBIs.

As one would expect from the two best teams in the NL West, the Giants made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by 26-year-old Giants pinch hitter Luis González, and just like that, it was another (now 2-1) Dodgers-Giants nail-biter.

But with no outs in the bottom half of the eighth inning and following a leadoff double by 29-year-old new Dodgers fan-favorite utility infielder Hanser Alberto, followed by a sharply hit single to left by 29-year-old Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts to move Alberto to third base, 32-year-old Giants left-hander José Álvarez uncorked yet another wild pitch, allowing Alberto to score easily from third base (no RBI on this one).

The game wasn’t without its (very) intense moments for Dodgers fans. With two outs in the top of the seventh inning and following an infield single by Giants designated hitter Wilmer Flores, a throwing error by Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, and a walk of always-dangerous Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (all off of 23-year-old Dodgers right-hander Brusdar Graterol), 26-year-old Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia got a huge strike out of 25-year-old Giants left fielder Luke Williams, who represented the tying run.

“Vesia, he’s a leverage guy, he’s becoming the dude,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “And I could have left Graterol in there, but I wanted him to be available for tomorrow night as well, and I liked the match-up. He did a nice job.”

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the outstanding job by 25-year-old Dodgers starter Julio Urías, who allowed no runs and only four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in his six shutout innings of work.

“We’re going to lean on him all summer,” Roberts said of Urías postgame. “I just didn’t feel right now was the time [to allow him to go longer]. I think that we still have to be mindful of the past workload from last year and continue to appreciate what we didn’t have access to as far as the buildup. I think that I’d rather err more on the cautious side than the aggressive side.”

Get in, strap up, and hang on for Game-2 of 19 between these two powerhouse teams on Wednesday night.

Play Ball!

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