Giants beat slumping Dodgers 9-3 behind Devers' power and timely hitting

The San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series. Rafael Devers homered in the second inning and later drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh that broke a tie. Willy Adames added a two-run single in the same inning against a struggling Dodgers bullpen.

Los Angeles has won only four of its last 12 games. The two-time defending World Series champions have lost three consecutive games by large margins. They scored three runs or fewer in nine of those 12 contests. The loss dropped them half a game behind San Diego in the NL West standings. Los Angeles fell to 24-17.

San Francisco improved to 17-24 and won back-to-back games for the first time since April 25-26. The Giants also ended a seven-game road skid during which they had scored just nine runs total. Their last road victory had come on April 18 at Washington.

In the seventh inning with the score tied 3-3, the Giants loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Jung Hoo Lee, Luis Arraez, and Casey Schmitt. Devers walked with two strikes to force in the go-ahead run and remove pitcher Alex Vesia from the game. Adames then singled with two strikes against reliever Will Klein. Adames finished with three RBIs.

Dodgers reliever Wyatt Mills struggled in the ninth, issuing four walks and hitting a batter as San Francisco scored three more runs. Matt Gage earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Giants starter Trevor McDonald allowed three runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts for Los Angeles. Mookie Betts went 1 for 5 with a single in his first game since April 4 after returning from injury. Max Muncy homered and hit an RBI single for the Dodgers. Heliot Ramos' two-run double in the sixth put San Francisco ahead 3-2.