A chaotic series ended Thursday night at Dodger Stadium with the Giants mounting a four-run comeback in the ninth inning to stun the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 and take three out of four from their National League West rival.
The ninth inning was filled with pandemonium and a number of close calls, two of which went the Giants' way. Trailing 3-1 with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Thairo Estrada hit a ground ball to shortstop Chris Taylor, who tossed it to second for what appeared to be a game-ending forceout.
But the Giants challenged the play and the replay showed that Jason Vosler barely beat the throw, allowing a run to score and extending the inning.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
A stretch by second baseman Sheldon Neuse likely would have ended the game and given the Dodgers a series split. But it was the call during the next at-bat that had Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and his team fuming after the game. With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on pinch-hitter Darin Ruf, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen appeared to get Ruf to swing through a 3-2 high fastball. But first-base umpire Ed Hickcox ruled it a check swing, allowing Ruf to draw a walk and bring in a run to tie the game at three.
After the game, Roberts, who was ejected after the check-swing call on Ruf, went off on what he believed was an obvious missed call that cost his team a much-needed win.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he went and the game should have been over," Roberts said after the loss. "[Ed Hickcox] is a really good umpire, been around for a long time. But in that spot, with two contending teams, you just can't miss that call. The game should have been over and there is no other way to look at it."
After losing three of four to the Giants in a wild series, the Dodgers now are three games back of San Francisco in the NL West. The nature of their three losses, especially how Thursday's went down, has the Dodgers fuming.
San Francisco Giants
"There's a lot of people that are really pissed off," Roberts said of his team's mindset. "I'm leading the way. We should have won that game, and it's a game that we really wanted, we had and we didn't [win]."
RELATED: Giants' under-the-radar play keyed win vs. Dodgers
Dodgers catcher Will Smith echoed Roberts' sentiments about the check-swing call.
"I definitely thought he went," Smith said after the loss.
The Giants left a topsy-turvy series in LA having added two games to their NL West lead. They'll face the Dodgers again beginning Tuesday at Oracle Park, and there's no doubt Roberts and Co. will have Thursday's loss at the front of their mind.