Tauchman Robs Pujols Of Walk-Off Homer; Giants Top Dodgers In 10
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Giants left fielder Mike Tauchman remarkably reached over the wall to rob Albert Pujols of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and San Francisco broke through in the 10th to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5 in a thriller Friday night.
Dodgers pinch-hitter Austin Barnes hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth to make it 5-all. Pujols was up next and the recently signed slugger nearly won it.
Pujols lingered near the batter's box when he connected and many of the Dodgers jumped the dugout rail in anticipation of a celebration, but Tauchman was equal to the challenge.
Tauchman angled back to the fence, jumped and made a sensational backhanded grab. He fell to the ground after knocking into the wall, raised his arm to show the ball and hobbled a bit on his way back to the dugout.
The Giants got Tauchman in late April in a trade with the New York Yankees, who liked his defensive ability yet had no room for him in an overcrowded outfield.
Pujols has 668 lifetime home runs and is tied with Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and three other Hall of Famers with 12 career walk-off homers, trailing Jim Thome's record 13.
LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a go-ahead single in 10th off Kenley Jansen (0-2). Evan Longoria added a two-run double.
Tyler Rogers (1-0) got the win despite giving up Barnes' homer. Jarlin Garcia got his first save since he was a Marlins minor leaguer in 2011.
Buster Posey hit a three-run homer in the eighth that gave the Giants a 5-2 lead.
Three times the Giants had a lead and three times the Dodger tied it. In the end, the Giants wound up with their first win over their NL West rivals in five tries this season.
Posey's 10th homer of the season and 150th in his career came off reliever Blake Treinen.
The Dodgers trailed 1-0 and 2-1 and 5-2 but kept answering. With a tie game and runners on second and third in the sixth for the Giants, left fielder Yoshi Tsutsugo made a running, leaping catch to rob Brandon Crawford of a hit and kept the game tied. It was another spectacular play in left field.
Hot-hitting Steven Duggar had a solo home run off Walker Buehler in the Giants fifth. Duggar is 10 for 24 with three homers in his last 13 games.
Matt Beaty hit a solo home run off Anthony DeSclafani in the Dodgers second.
Buehler threw six strong innings and allowed one earned and three hits.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: RHP Darin Ruf suffered a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
Dodgers: OF Cody Bellinger (hairline fracture left leg) will return to Saturday's lineup after missing nearly two months ... INF/OF Zach McKinstry (right oblique strain) will be back with the team Saturday and in the lineup Saturday or Sunday ... OF A.J. Pollock (left hamstring strain) will play four games for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and is expected to travel with the Dodgers to Atlanta next weekend... RHP Jimmy Nelson (forearm) is expected to throw a bullpen session this weekend and live BP Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (3-3, 4.09) will come off the IL with a mild shoulder strain to make the start. He threw six scoreless innings in his previous start May 17 against Cincinnati.
Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (7-1, 3.03) earned his seventh win of the season in San Francisco last Sunday, allowing just two runs on three hits in six innings. He is tied for second-most wins in MLB, along with teammate Clayton Kershaw and Cleveland's Aaron Civale. Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty has eight.
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