For Dodgers, meetings with Giants always prove eventful

SAN FRANCISCO -- Regardless of records coming into a series, the Dodgers and Giants always seem to find a way to play close games against each other.

That was the case once again on Friday as the Dodgers fell just short of a comeback win against the Giants, dropping the opener, 5-3, on a Brett Wisely walk-off homer at Oracle Park.

“Traditionally, these guys [the Giants] play well at home regardless of who they’re running out there,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It’s a division rival. They’re sort of in and out as far as how they’re playing. But they bring their best against us. … We somehow bring out the best in every team. But that’s what we signed up for. We played an OK game, but there’s more in there, certainly.”

The Dodgers had some mixed results on Friday. Landon Knack was a bright spot once again, continuing his run of success early in his big league career. The 26-year-old rookie allowed just one run over 4 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.08 through six starts. Knack also set a career high with seven punchouts.

“In the very beginning in the game, I felt like I was a little off,” Knack said. “You’re still making pitches when you need to, but I was just a little off. And then I kind of got my curveball going a little bit, and I think that locked in the rest of the throw. And after that, things felt much easier.”

With Knack keeping the Giants off the board for most of the night, the Dodgers’ offense was finally able to get to ace Logan Webb with a pair of runs in the fifth. Miguel Rojas opened the frame with a single and was driven in by a Gavin Lux opposite-field double.

Getting more consistent support from the bottom of the order has been a big key for the Dodgers as of late. In fact, Friday’s loss was the Dodgers’ first this season in which Rojas recorded at least one hit, snapping a streak of 24 games. That was the longest streak of team wins when a certain player has a hit to start a season since 1900.

“You gotta add on runs when you can,” Roberts said. “Granted, we didn’t have many opportunities tonight, but when you’re not scoring a bunch of runs, it just seems like everything is more magnified, and if you’re not perfect, then you lose ballgames.”

Uncharacteristically, the Dodgers’ top relievers weren’t perfect, and the team paid the price. In the sixth, Daniel Hudson, who has returned from two knee surgeries looking like his old self, allowed a two-run shot to Matt Chapman that put the Giants ahead, 3-2.

The Dodgers were able to erase that deficit in the ninth against closer Camilo Doval as Andy Pages hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Jason Heyward sacrifice fly. At the moment, it looked like the Dodgers were going to pull off another thrilling win in San Francisco.

Instead, it was the Giants who ended up celebrating, as Wisely crushed his two-run walk-off homer off Blake Treinen. Treinen has been lights out for the Dodgers since returning from right shoulder surgery.

It was just the sixth time all season the Dodgers lost a game when scoring first, the fewest in the Majors.

“Our guys have pitched extremely well all year,” Treinen said. “It sucks losing. That’s about it. I don’t really know what else to say.”