Glasnow rolls with dominant 8 innings to lead Dodgers past Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- How locked in was Tyler Glasnow on Thursday afternoon? When he clipped the top of the zone with a 1-0 curveball but the pitch was called a ball in the fifth inning, he didn't even hesitate before tapping his cap to challenge it.

"I looked a lot more confident than I was," he said. "I feel like it was close enough. I think the way he caught it, too, kind of convinced me it was a strike, but it was kind of just, like, instinctual."

The ball call was overturned, and Glasnow got back to dominating the Giants without missing a beat.

Just as Glasnow let his instincts take over while issuing his first ABS challenge -- and only the second one by a Dodgers pitcher this season -- the ability to quiet his thoughts and focus on competing has served him well in 2026. He was the stopper his team sorely needed, twirling a career-high-tying eight scoreless innings to help L.A. to a 3-0 victory, salvaging the series finale at Oracle Park.

During the three-game series in San Francisco, the Dodgers' starters made little margin for error as the offense scuffled. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (seven innings of three-run ball) and Shohei Ohtani (six scoreless innings) had nothing to show for their strong outings. But with a little run support, Glasnow put his team on his back while improving to 3-0 on the year.

"He just knew we needed to win," manager Dave Roberts said. "And I think all three of our guys that went out, as far as starters, did their jobs. Today we were kind of in a little funk offensively, and he set the tone. … This is who he is, and so for me, it's just not surprising. I felt good about pushing him today."

It was the first time Glasnow recorded an out beyond the seventh inning since April 21, 2024, when he also tossed eight scoreless frames. Roberts felt comfortable with pushing him to a season-high 105 pitches to get through the eighth.

The Giants had just three baserunners to work with on Thursday: Luis Arraez, who walked in the first inning; Heliot Ramos, who reached on an error in the second; and Arraez again, who had their lone hit of the contest, a single in the fourth inning. The latter two were erased on double plays, so Glasnow faced the minimum across his final seven innings.

Glasnow had just about everything working for him. He overpowered the Giants when he needed to, striking out nine and inducing 16 whiffs. When he did pitch to contact, San Francisco batters had an average exit velocity of just 89.5 mph off him.

As the game went on, Glasnow adapted to what was working for him in the moment rather than stick to the plan he had going in. He and catcher Dalton Rushing used every pitch in his bag, leaning heaviest on his sinker and mixing in plenty of sliders, curveballs and four-seamers. That helped him keep the Giants off-balance.

"One pitch would feel really good, and I'd kind of spam that pitch. And the next inning, like a curveball would feel good," Glasnow said. "It wasn't a consistent flow all game long. It helped me just throw whatever was working that inning."

Glasnow has always had tantalizing stuff, but the Dodgers feel that he's taken a step forward this year because of his mentality. In the past, the right-hander would allow himself to dwell on his mechanics and overthink while he was on the mound.

This season, Glasnow has been able to stay in the moment and just be a competitor. That evolution has already proven fruitful for the Dodgers.

"I think when you’re a starting pitcher and you’re on a little bit of a schneid as a team, you have to have the ability," Roberts said. "We need a win, you’ve got to put up zeros, you’ve got to go deep in a game and then you have to have the ability to focus on doing your job. … The great ones have that ability."