Matt Moore loses no-hit bid, but Giants take down Dodgers 4-0

LOS ANGELES - San Francisco lefty Matt Moore lost his no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning on a soft, clean single by Corey Seager, and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Thursday night.

Moore's try ended on his 133rd pitch. It was Seager Bobblehead Night at Dodger Stadium, and a sellout crowd cheered Moore after the ball plopped onto the grass in shallow right field.

Moore was pulled immediately. Giants manager Bruce Bochy had been pacing in the dugout for a couple of innings as Moore's pitch count climbed - he missed most of the last two seasons after Tommy John surgery.

Giants center fielder Denard Span sprinted for two outstanding catches, including a leadoff grab in the ninth, to give Moore a chance.

Moore earned his first win for the Giants since they got him in a trade with Tampa Bay on Aug. 1. The victory moved the Giants within two games of the NL West-leading Dodgers.

The 27-year-old Moore nearly gave San Francisco a major league record five straight years with a no-hitter. And he almost became the first Giants pitcher to no-hit the archrival Dodgers since 1915, when New York's Rube Marquard shut down Brooklyn.

Moore struck out seven and walked three. Reliever Santiago Casilla needed just one pitch to get the final out.

Moore retired 14 straight batters at one stretch and is now 1-3 in five starts for the Giants. He was 7-7 with the Rays when they dealt him at the Aug. 1 trading deadline for infielder Matt Duffy and two minor leaguers.

This was Moore's 99th start in the majors, and his only complete game was a shutout. He came close to doing a lot better than that. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta of the Cubs remains the only pitcher with a no-hitter this year, doing it at Cincinnati in April.

Ross Stripling (3-5) took the loss. In his major league debut earlier this year, he held the Giants hitless for 71/3 innings in San Francisco, but then manager Dave Roberts relieved him because of a pitch count.

Joe Panik hit a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Span ran a long way into the left-center field gap in the second inning, reaching below his knee to catch a slicing drive by Adrian Gonzalez near the warning track. In the ninth, Span rushed in to grab a sinking liner by Enrique Hernandez. Moore tipped his cap to the center fielder for the effort.

The Giants remain tied with the Dodgers for the most consecutive years with a no-hitter. Chris Heston threw one last year for San Francisco, Tim Lincecum did it in 2014 and also 2013 - with 148 pitches - and Matt Cain had a perfect game in 2012.

The Dodgers threw them from 1962-65, all by Sandy Koufax.

Trainer's room

Dodgers: Andre Ethier (broken right tibia) began a rehab assignment at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday.

Up next

Giants: Jeff Samardzija (10-9, 4.17) starts the series opener at home against the Braves. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Mets on Sunday, the longest such bid of his career. Samardzija is 2-2 with a 2.92 ERA in five starts lifetime against Atlanta. Braves starter Joel De La Cruz (0-6, 4.47) will be face the Giants for the first time.

Dodgers: RHP Bud Norris (6-10, 4.69) will start the series opener against the Cubs. He is 5-5 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 career games vs. Chicago. He has a win against the Cubs when he was with the Braves earlier this year. The Cubs will start LHP Mike Montgomery (1-1, 2.77).