SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - There’s no arguing the San Francisco Giants are giving themselves ample opportunities to win: They have played seven straight one-run games.
With a chance to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers at home, they couldn’t come through again.
The Dodgers got to Madison Bumgarner early on the way to a 2-1 victory Thursday. San Francisco’s offense was shut down by seven scoreless innings from Hyun-Jin Ryu as the South Korean pitcher tried to lift the spirits for his country after a devastating ferry accident back home.
The Giants have had seven straight games decided by one run for the first time since eight in a row from Aug. 11-17, 1910, according to STATS.
“These were three tight games and they all could have gone either way,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We had them on the ropes in the eighth and ninth but we couldn’t get the big hit.”
With his bushy beard freshly shorn, Bumgarner (2-1) had a three-start winning streak against the Dodgers snapped with just his second loss in the past seven outings against Los Angeles. The left-hander allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 1-3 innings but threw 99 pitches.
Opponents are batting .326 off Bumgarner, compared to a .203 average against that ranked third-lowest in the NL last year.
“Not a whole lot went in our favor. I’m not trying to change anything,” Bumgarner said. “That was some of the best stuff I’ve had so far. It’s been tough getting deep into games right now.”
Ryu stretched his road scoreless streak to 26 innings this season and 28 in all.
Ryu (3-1) struck out three and walked one on a season-high 112 pitches in seven innings, helping his club move into a tie with the Giants atop the NL West at 10-6.
Yasiel Puig returned to the Dodgers starting lineup and went 1 for 4 with a strikeout. He dropped a routine fly ball in right early on but recovered to throw out Brandon Belt at second. He then made a nice over-the-head catch on the next batter and a running grab in shallow center in the eighth with a runner on second. He said the ball hit his thumb area on the play he missed and he didn’t close his glove quickly enough.
The Cuban star said before the game he will stay focused on baseball despite reports smugglers who got him out of his country threatened his life. He made two baserunning blunders in the season-opening series at Australia, then arrived late at Dodger Stadium for the home opener and was scratched.
He vowed to remain focused on baseball and not the off-field issues “so those things that are happening don’t torment me.”
Tim Federowicz hit an RBI single in the second to put the Dodgers ahead, and Adrian Gonzalez singled in a run in the fifth to chase Bumgarner.
Former Giants closer Brian Wilson gave up a leadoff double to Ehire Adrianza but escaped the inning unscathed. Kenley Jansen gave up a two-out RBI single to Adrianza before finishing for his fifth save.
“There’s a little added Adrenalin and emotion here,” Wilson said.
Ryu had surrendered a career-high eight runs in a career-short two innings against the Giants in the Dodgers’ home opener April 4.
Los Angeles played without shortstop Hanley Ramirez, a day after he was hit by a pitch on the top of his left hand. The Dodgers said there is no fracture, and Ramirez said he had iced the hand eight times and planned to play Friday against Arizona to begin a 10-game homestand.
NOTES: Giants SS Brandon Crawford was given an extra day off to rest his tender right hamstring. He was available to play and took ground balls before the game. … CF Angel Pagan didn’t start because of knee soreness but appeared as a pinch-hitter. “He banged his knee into a wall a few days ago, so we’re giving him a break,” Bochy said.
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