Fitzgerald's Belt-esque power surge continues in LA

LOS ANGELES -- Tyler Fitzgerald's superpower, it would seem, is an ability to turn a raucous crowd of nearly 50,000 into a church-sermon hush.

What the rookie has yet to accomplish since the All-Star break, despite his best efforts, is to be the catalyst that gets the Giants’ offense on track.

Even as Fitzgerald hit a home run for the fourth consecutive game and Blake Snell turned in a quality start, allowing just two runs over six innings, it was the Dodgers who came away with a 3-2 victory in the opener of a four-game series Monday at Dodger Stadium. The Giants are now 1-3 since the break.

When Fitzgerald ripped his line-drive home run to left field in the seventh inning to tie the game at 2, there was nary a sound from a near full house as the ball crashed into the bleachers. Shohei Ohtani Hat Night was suddenly going sideways on the home fans.

With four home runs in his last four games, Fitzgerald became the first Giant to accomplish the feat since Brandon Belt from May 14-17, 2018.

"I kind of black out when that happens in a big game like that,” said Fitzgerald, while admitting he didn’t have a sense of his home run’s quieting effect. "I didn’t really hear much, so yeah, I guess I didn’t notice it. That’s not going through my head or anything. But yeah, it does get pretty loud when they hit them."

Ultimately, the Giants’ issue was going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. And left looming large all night was Jorge Soler trying to advance to third base on a first-inning single from LaMonte Wade Jr. that was bobbled by Dodgers left fielder Miguel Vargas.

As Soler was thrown out at third base, the Giants lost the chance at a first-and-third situation with nobody out against Dodgers rookie right-hander River Ryan, who was in the midst of facing his first two batters in the Major Leagues.

"Obviously, you feel like you have a chance,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. "[Soler] is watching it the whole way and he’s running hard and all of a sudden there is a bobble and he’s trying to get to third. [Vargas] made a good throw, too.”

Ryan proceeded to settle in by retiring the next eight batters he faced.

The Giants did score first when Wade Jr. walked to open the fourth inning, advanced to second on a Patrick Bailey single and third on a Michael Conforto groundout. But it wasn’t a hit that brought Wade home -- rather, a passed ball by Dodgers catcher Will Smith.

The Giants put runners on first and third with one out in the sixth, chasing Ryan from the game. That’s when left-hander Alex Vesia came on to strike out pinch-hitter Luis Matos, following that with a strikeout of Matt Chapman to end the rally.

Fitzgerald’s home run was the only other run the Giants could muster.

"He’s playing great with a lot of confidence and made a great play defensively as well,” Melvin said of his shortstop. “He’s hit some homers, he draws a walk in the ninth. He’s playing with a lot more confidence and a lot calmer. I think that he knows he’s going to be here and get a little more playing time for sure."

Fitzgerald knows what the rivalry means to Giants fans. He felt it in the late June series between the teams at San Francisco, collecting two hits in a 10-4 win over the Dodgers on June 30. He's also been to Los Angeles twice this season, feeling the energy from the other side.

"Earlier in the year it probably could have gotten to me a little bit,” he said about the Dodger Stadium chaos. "But I’m just trying to slow the game down as much as possible and just treat it like another game. At times, like on defense earlier in the year, the moment got a little big on me. Just trying to stay relaxed out there.”

Part of that effort to slow down the game, after playing in just 38 contests this season, is to keep the strategy simple.

"I’m feeling pretty good and just trying to hit their mistakes,” Fitzgerald said of opposing pitchers. “Taking a lot of swings and getting here early and preparing the right way and going about it the right way. Just taking advantage of how I feel right now, because in this game it never lasts. Just try to see [the ball] and take good swings."