Giants push Dodgers to deck in playoff game

NEWPORT BEACH -- James Cunningham knocked in the last run in both the

first and seventh innings Saturday, each on lifted lobs over the

heads of Dodger infielders. They weren’t the sharpest of hits, but

they found a spot on the outfield grass each time, helping key the

Giants’ 4-3 victory over the visiting Dodgers in Newport Harbor

Baseball Association Bronco (11-12-year-olds) playoff action at

Mariners Park.

With Jacob McCann standing at third with no outs and the Dodger

infielders playing near or on the grass, Cunningham lifted a 2-2

pitch over the shortstop’s head, which sent the Giants’ crowd to its

feet.

“The guy was throwing slow, so I waited on it and hit it,”

Cunningham said. “”I practice my form and don’t worry too much about

getting out.”

With Cunningham’s game-winning single, the Giants forced another

game today at noon at Mariners Park to determine the Bronco division

championship.

“He has been our hitter all year, hitting over .500,” Giants’

Manager Peter Grace said of Cunningham. “He has contributed all

season.”

Cunningham also performed well on the mound, striking out two in

two innings of scoreless relief. He threw 18 pitches in retiring the

side in both the fifth and sixth innings, when both teams’ bats went

silent.

After the Giants took a 3-1 lead after the second inning, neither

team scored any runs until the seventh, when the Dodgers (11-10-2,

4-1 in the playoffs) scored twice to tie the score, 3-3.

Zack Gagnon reached on a bloop single to center to leadoff the

seventh and moved to second on a wild pitch. First baseman Nick

Svendsen then ripped an RBI-single down the left-field line to plate

Gagnon. Svendsen stole both second and third before scoring the tying

run on Dillan Freiberg’s pop fly, which eluded the outstretched arms

of the Giants’ second baseman as he retreated into the outfield.

Svendsen, the Dodgers’ No. 1 hurler who has not pitched in the

playoffs because of tendinitis in his right shoulder, also scored the

Dodgers’ initial run in the top of the first on a single to center by

Kyle Lawrence.

“I never imagined we would get this far without [Svendsen]

pitching,” Dodger Manager Bob Svendsen said. “We have a lot of

players who are underrated and playing well. We are peaking at the

right time.”

The Dodgers entered Saturday’s game having won four in a row after

entering the playoffs as the 10th seed. The Giants (15-10, 6-1) have now won six in a row since dropping their first playoff game. The

teams split their previous two regular-season meetings.

“We are scrappy,” Grace said. “We’ve either been tied or behind in

so many games and had to come back. It was a very defensive game.

Their pitchers did a good job of stifling our hitters.”

Lawrence settled down after allowing a run in the first and

pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three in all. Freiberg

relieved Lawrence and used 30 pitches to retire the side in order in

the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Giants’ pitchers were equally impressive. Starter Jack Grace

allowed one run in two innings, striking out two while Eric Holland

retired six of seven. McCann pitched the seventh, striking out one

and inducing a groundball, all with the go-ahead run at third.

McCann, who led the Giants with four stolen bases, knocked in

leadoff hitter Jake Caughill when the Dodger second baseman dropped a

groundball in the first inning. In the third, Holland scored on a

wild pitch with Jake Dawson at the plate.

The Giants stole eight bases while the Dodgers swiped six.

“Basestealing in this league is key ... we just couldn’t get guys

on base except the first and last innings,” Svendsen said.

Caughill and the Dodgers’ Randall Hause were the only players to

reach base on a walk while only Cunningham and Svendsen had multi-hit

games. Each went 2 for 3.

Giants’ second baseman Michael Carscadden, Holland and Sean

Mangano singled for the Giants while the Dodgers’ David Blake-Panas

singled into shallow right to leadoff the second.

Blake-Panas, playing at third base, went to his right to spear a

hard-hit groundball and threw out the runner to end the third.

Brett Olinger, Eric Chebil and Cody Halter each went to bat twice

for the Giants while Nathan Tegel, Garrett Koch, Ryan Hatcher, Bryce

Fuller and Teila Apolinaris added the Dodgers’ attack.