Recap: Pence is Grand as Giants rout Dodgers 19-3

Sep 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) celebrates with teammates Angel Pangan (16) and Brandon Belt (9) after hitting a grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

With Ricky Nolasco pitching tonight for the Dodgers, things didn’t seem like they would go too well for the boys in Orange. Nolasco has pitched well during his career (stats courtesy of Baseballreference.com) vs the Giants.

On this night, it was much different for the Giants vs Nolasco. During the first inning, the Giants sent 9 men to the plate and scored 3 runs, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence each with RBI singles and Brandon Crawford with a bases loaded walk. The Dodgers countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, but that was as close as they would get. Top of the second was very similar to the first for the Giants, they only sent 8 men to the plate this inning. Nolasco didn’t make it out of the second inning, having only pitched 1.1  giving up 7 hits, 7 runs (5 earned) with 3 BB. After 2 innings it was 7-1 Giants. Tim Lincecum started for the Giants and had an at bat before he stepped on the mound.

Lincecum pitched 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 3 runs (all earned) with 2 BB and 6 K’s, he also had 2 hits of his own at the plate.

The story of the night was Hunter Pence. Pence, who may be the hottest hitter on the planet right now, in September Pence has a slash line of .388/.466/.837 and a monstrous OPS of 1.303. The Giants had the bases loaded 3 times in the first 5 innings. In the fifth inning, Pence came to bat with the bases loaded and did something that no Giants player had done since Buster Posey vs Mat Latos in last years NLDS. Stephen Fife on the mound, Pence took the 2-0 pitch and hit it to dead center field for the first Giants grand slam of the season, and forth of Pences career.

For the game, Pence went 3-5 with 7 RBI, becoming the first Giants player to have 7 RBI in a game at Dodger stadium since Barry Bonds in 1993. Pence also becomes the sixth player ever to do so at Dodger stadium

Not to be outdone, Brandon Belt had another big game himself, finishing the game a triple shy of the cycle. Belt went 5-6 with 6 RBI of his own. That’s a combined 13 RBI from Belt and Pence and the rout was on.

The Giants scored a Dodger stadium high 19 runs

Along the 19 runs, the Giants collected 22 hits and won by the final of 19-3. Full box score here

With the wins tonight and last nights, the Giants are assured that the Dodgers will not clinch the NL West during this weekend series, even though Arizona won tonight assuring that the division could not be clinched.

Also of note, Giants catcher Johnny Monell collected his first career MLB hit.

Tomorrow, at 4:10pm, the Giants look to win the series vs the rival Dodgers, as Ryan Vogelsong takes the mound for the Giants vs. the Dodgers and  Edinson Volquez