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The Dodgers’ Will Smith hits a two-run double during the 10th inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts hits a leadoff home run during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts, right, is congratulated by teammate Shohei Ohtani after he hit a home run during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts, left, is congratulated by teammates as he returns to the dugout after he hit a home run during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts, left, celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts attempts to stop a ball hit by the San Francisco Giants’ Blake Sabol during the second inning on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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The San Francisco Giants’ Luis Matos runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The San Francisco Giants’ Luis Matos celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks to the dugout after the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks to the dugout after the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts hits a single during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani bats during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani grounds into a fielder’s choice during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani runs to third base after the ball got past the San Francisco Giants’ Casey Schmitt on a stolen base attempt during the third inning on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks throws to the plate during the fifth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts to a foul ball during the fifth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits an RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani follows through on his RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, right, reaches first base safely next to San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for an RBI single during the fifth inning on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, reacts next to first base coach Clayton McCullough, right, after hitting an RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Luke Jackson throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, right, celebrates with teammate Andy Pages, left, after scoring on Gavin Lux’s ground-rule double during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, center, walks to the dugout after being removed during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The Dodgers’ Kike Hernández gestures after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The Dodgers’ Kike Hernández, right, runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The Dodgers’ Kike Hernández runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The Dodgers’ Kike Hernández is congratulated by teammates as he returns to the dugout after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out during the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Tyler Rogers throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages catches a fly ball hit by the San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr. during the eighth inning on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Will Smith hits a two-run double during the 10th inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, left, celebrates as he scores ahead of teammate Freddie Freeman, back, on a double by Will Smith, not pictured, during the 10th inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. The Dodgers held on to win, 6-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Mookie Betts, left, congratulates Freddie Freeman after they both scored on Will Smith’s go-ahead two-run double during the 10th inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher J.P. Feyereisen throws to the plate during the 10th inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher J.P. Feyereisen reacts after the final out of their 6-4, 10-inning victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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Dodgers relief pitcher J.P. Feyereisen reacts after getting the San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada to ground into a double play to end the 10th inning of their 6-4 victory on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers relief pitcher J.P. Feyereisen, right, and catcher Will Smith celebrate after the final out of their 6-4, 10-inning victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, shakes hands with second baseman Gavin Lux in the dugout before their game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO — Whatever the separate trajectories of the two franchises, the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants always make for a good fight.
They traded blows again Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Oracle Park. Will Smith’s two-run double in the 10th inning decided things, 6-4, in the Dodgers’ favor.
“When I started with the Dodgers, it was AT&T (Park) and it felt like the first two or three years I was here, a lot of weird stuff tends to happen in this stadium, especially late in games,” Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernandez said of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.
The Giants have a losing record since they wrenched a division title from the Dodgers in 2021 – a 107-win outlier that seems more aberrational with time – and attendance has suffered at their Bay-side ballpark. The ticket exchange company Vivid Seats even forecast a Dodgers majority in the stands at Oracle Park for this series – though the “Beat L.A.” chants seemed as robust as ever and the home fans roused themselves to boo Shohei Ohtani for his perceived flirtation with the Giants as a free agent (though not nearly with the vigor the jilted fans in Toronto managed).
“I think there’s something to the rivalry,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the fans here really get into it. And we seem to be pretty well represented when we come up here. But you know, regardless of records, it seems like we always have tight ballgames.”
Indeed. Since the start of the 2015 season, the Dodgers and Giants have played 50 one-run games. More than half (80) of their 158 meetings (including the 2021 National League Division Series) have been decided by one or two runs.
“It’s always intense games. Fans are into it,” Smith said. “We’re trying to beat them, they’re trying to beat us. It comes down to who executes and tonight we were able to get them.”
Mookie Betts landed the first punch Monday, leading off the game with a home run. It was the 50th leadoff home run of Betts’ career, third all-time behind Alfonso Soriano (54) and Craig Biggio (53).
More to the point, it was Betts’ first home run of any kind since April 12. After starting the season with six home runs in his first 16 games, Betts’ power went out for 26 games. He entered Monday’s game in a 7-for-35 funk overall but had hits in his first two at-bats, giving him back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time since April 27.
In the second inning, though, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto hung a first-pitch curveball to Luis Matos. The fat breaking ball met the same fate as many of its ancestors – Matos sent it deep over the left-field wall for a three-run home run.
“Yeah, just kind of a ‘get-me-over’ hanger,” Smith said. “Other than that, he pitched really well.”
Yamamoto course-corrected after that, retiring the next 12 batters. That gave the Dodgers time to climb back into the game on Ohtani’s RBI infield single in the fifth and Gavin Lux’s game-tying RBI double in the sixth.
The Giants chased Yamamoto from the game in the sixth, regaining the lead when Betts couldn’t field Heliot Ramos’ ground ball to his right. The ball went into left field, allowing the go-ahead run to score from second. It was the second ball to Betts’ backhand on which he was unable to make a play.
“With Mookie we’re still in the process of trying to get repetitions on plays that he’s never had,” Roberts said. “Diving for a ball in the outfield is different than diving for a ball on the dirt. That’s a ball that you just got to get repetitions because we don’t practice that, he doesn’t practice that.
“That’s something that, I know he feels we got to keep it in the infield. … Balls that he can get to, he’s making plays on, getting better at. But full-out diving and trying to keep it and corral it to then try to make a play – that’s something that, that’s a rep. … I believe that, with more time, he’s going to get better at all these plays.”
Hernandez tied it again with a pinch-hit home run in the seventh and the game went into extra innings.
With Betts the free runner at second to start the 10th inning, Ohtani struck out against Giants lefty Taylor Rogers. Working carefully, Rogers walked Freddie Freeman on five pitches, bringing up Smith.
After taking one fastball for a strike, Smith clubbed the next one to straightaway center field, over the head of Matos. Betts and Freeman both scored.
J.P. Feyereisen – the last of five Dodgers relievers to each pitch a scoreless inning – closed it out in the bottom of the 10th. Blake Treinen got the win and Feyereisen his first save since May 29, 2022 – both missed all of 2023 recovering from shoulder surgeries.
Will Smith for the lead! 😤 pic.twitter.com/fEU7caSMsF
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 14, 2024
Hello, Mookie! pic.twitter.com/6FB28wtpYF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 14, 2024
SEE. YOU. LATER. 👏 pic.twitter.com/x7p7oLkRCx
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 14, 2024
