Tugboat shines — just not the brightest

Granted, it was 1-0 lead, which is not a lead that typically soothes or ensures. In LA, against that Dodger line-up, a run in the 1st wasn't going to be a fatal blow. It wasn't going to last. After Victor Bericoto's opposite field single helped complete Jonah Cox's scamper around the bases, I felt fairly confident that the early lead wouldn't survive batters into the Dodgers' bottom half of the 1st.

I was wrong about that. Matt Wilkinson proved me wrong. With Tugboat at the helm, the lead lasted — not forever, of course, the Giants obviously lost this game — but through the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, even the 4th! The rookie left-hander held the Dodgers in check for five scoreless innings, striking out 6, walking none, while scattering three hits. It was the best outing of his short career, and he knew it. He knew when he was out there, celebrating each shutout frame with a roar, each strikeout with a strut around the mound, each painted pitch with an affirming head nod.

Four of his season-high six K's came by way of his deceptive four-seamer. He got Max Muncy to lunge over a change-up immediately after Miguel Rojas 's one-out double in the 2nd. He scooted over to record the out at first on Josue Da Paula's meek grounder and just kept running, taking a wide turn into the dugout, hyping himself up as he went, with the third out nestled in his glove.