LOS ANGELES -- Through the first two innings on Wednesday night, the Dodgers and Giants were locked in a scoreless search for momentum. But in the span of two batters, the Dodgers’ offense broke out.
The catalyst was back-to-back home runs from Santiago Espinal and Mookie Betts. The third-inning power surge finally ended the club’s scoring drought and provided the impetus for a 4-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. The win snapped a four-game skid, including two losses to their divisional rival.
"It’s the hunger that we have," Espinal said. "Our job is just to go out compete. Today we went out, had fun and we got the W."
For a lineup that has spent the last week searching for its rhythm, the back-to-back shots served as a much-needed reminder of the team’s depth. Teoscar Hernández was ready at the top of the dugout steps, unleashing his signature sunflower seed shower twice.
"I don't know if it felt like a must-win, but it felt like we must get something going," Betts told SportsNet LA after the game. "Fortunately, we gave ourselves a little light and built something."
The sparks started with Espinal. Making a rare start, the veteran infielder turned on a 91.7 mph fastball for his first home run in a Dodgers uniform. For Espinal, the moment was a validation of his stay-ready mentality and the mechanical work he’s put in with the coaching staff during limited playing time.
"I’ve faced [Robbie Ray] a lot," Espinal said. "I know he's very aggressive with his fastball, so I just have my mind on always getting on the fastball early."
Before the first set of sunflower seeds could even hit the ground, Betts followed with a nearly identical moonshot on a 92.4 mph heater. It was Betts’ third home run of the season and his first since returning from the injured list on Monday. The blast confirmed that any concerns about a ramp-up period for the superstar were premature.
"I was happy for Espinal. He's been such a great teammate," manager Dave Roberts said. "And so for him to have a moment to give us a lead was big. And then Mookie – he wasn't going to play [tonight] – but wanted to play for the team. And I knew we needed him against Ray tonight. And so for him to deliver was great.”
The momentum from the third inning carried into the fourth, where the Dodgers began manufacturing the insurance runs that had been elusive lately. Kyle Tucker, who has been coming to life over the last few weeks, finished the night with two doubles. His second double set the table for a Hernández RBI single and an Alex Call sacrifice fly.
Beyond the power, the night featured crucial moments for the rest of the order. Miguel Rojas snapped an 0-for-22 stretch with a line-drive single in the fourth, eventually finishing the night 2-for-4.
"Offensively, I just thought that situationally we just had a lot of good intent and good at-bats," Roberts said.
The Dodgers look to salvage a series split in Thursday’s finale before heading out on a nine-game road trip.