Giants’ Matt Moore Falls One Out Shy Of No-Hitter In 4-0 Win Over Dodgers

The San Francisco Giants entered Thursday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers three games behind in the National League West and in dire need of a spark to help reignite their sluggish second half.

Giants’ Matt Moore Falls One Out Shy Of No-Hitter In 4-0 Win Over Dodgers

Left-hander Matt Moore, the Giants’ biggest deadline acquisition, greatly helped with that, coming within just one out of throwing a no-hitter against the Dodgers in San Francisco’s 4-0 victory in Los Angeles Thursday night.

Nearly pitching the Giants’ first no-hitter over the Dodgers in 101 years (by Rube Marquard), Moore (8-10) walked three and struck out seven in 8 2/3 innings. He was removed immediately after a hit from Corey Seager in the bottom of the ninth, having thrown a career-high 133 pitches.

The Giants thus snapped a four-game losing streak, and Moore helped prevent his team from being swept in the final game of a three-game series against the Dodgers. With the win, San Francisco trimmed their deficit behind the first-place Dodgers to two games in the National League West.

The last Giant to lose a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning was Yusmeiro Petit, who stunned the Arizona Diamondbacks until pinch-hitter Eric Chavez singled on Sept. 6, 2013. The previous Major Leaguer to suffer that same fate was Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco, whose attempt to land in the annals of professional baseball history was denied by Tampa Bay’s Joey Butler on July 1, 2015.

Giants center fielder Denard Span robbed Adrian Gonzalez with a long run and shoestring catch in the second inning. Span then made a diving catch of Kiké Hernandez’s sinking liner leading off the bottom of the ninth. Moore threw a no-hitter in Double-A in 2011.

“There were balls that I conceded as hits,” Moore, 27, said. “The defense has to make those plays that don’t always get made.”

The left-hander was acquired by the Giants just before the non-waiver Trade Deadline, just four days after he beat the Dodgers while pitching for Tampa Bay. Moore underwent Tommy John elbow surgery on April 22, 2014, and has been attempting to regain his arm strength ever since. The Dodgers learned that his recovery has been steady, as he consistently reached the mid-80s with his fastball.

“I’m to the point now with the injury where I really focus on the things I learned from it, as opposed to the dark side of being out a year and a half,” said Moore, who was limited to 12 starts last year. “Just understanding my body — I have to listen to it a little better.”

Joe Panik blasted a two-run homer off Ross Stripling (3-5) in a three-run fourth inning. San Francisco added an unearned run in the sixth inning on a Span RBI single after third baseman Justin Turner’s fielding error. Stripling was facing the Giants for the first time since no-hitting them for 7 1/3 innings in his Major League debut April 8.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who insisted his team achieved their goal of winning the series by taking the first two games, added the hit by Seager on his bobble-head night took the sting out of the loss.

“In some weird way, it does,” said Roberts. “They really wanted to salvage the series. For us to potentially get no-hit, and for Corey to break it up, it salvages it for us in a strange way.”

Stripling had an opportunity to minimize damage in the fourth following Brandon Crawford’s leadoff single when he jumped to catch Eduardo Nunez’s high hopper, but he dropped the ball and instead of a double play settled for the out at first. Brandon Belt then beat the Dodges’ defensive shift with an RBI single to score Crawford, and Panik followed with his homer.

The Giants (69-58, 2nd in NL West) next host the Braves on Friday night for the opener of a three-game series. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will get the start.

The Dodgers (71-56, 1st in NL West) will also host a three-game series beginning Friday night, but against the Cubs. Righty Bud Norris will take the mound.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 25: Matt Moore #45 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)