The Los Angeles Dodgers entered their four-game series against the San Francisco Giants sputtering, but they managed to salvage a split with a 5-2 victory in Thursday night's series finale. After dropping the first two games, the Dodgers showed resilience to even the score in this classic NL West rivalry.
Emmet Sheehan delivered his finest outing of the 2026 season, tossing six quality innings with six strikeouts while surrendering just two hits and two earned runs. The young right-hander carried momentum from a strong performance against the Atlanta Braves six days earlier, where he allowed just one run over 4 2/3 innings. Despite some fluctuation in his fastball velocity between starts, Sheehan found consistency against the Giants, keeping his fastball around 95 mph while generating 14 whiffs—seven of which came from his devastating breaking slider.
The only blemish on Sheehan's line came in the top of the fifth inning. With a runner on first, Jung Hoo Lee poked an 0-2 fastball down the left-field line that barely stayed fair. Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez misjudged the bounce, and the ball rolled all the way to the wall, allowing the speedy Lee to race around the bases and slide home with a two-run inside-the-park home run, tying the game at 2-2.
Manager Dave Roberts rolled out a lineup that raised eyebrows across the baseball world. For the first time in his career, catcher Will Smith batted leadoff and served as the designated hitter, taking the spot normally occupied by Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani had his second scheduled day off from hitting, coming off a seven-inning scoreless pitching performance less than 24 hours earlier. The Dodgers were also without Mookie Betts, adding another layer of intrigue to Roberts' unconventional lineup construction.
This series split keeps the Dodgers competitive in the NL West, and with Sheehan finding his rhythm, the pitching staff looks poised for a strong stretch run. For fans looking to rep their team's resilience, the Dodgers' blue and white gear is a must-have for the season ahead.