Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The San Francisco Giants’ Lewis Brinson hits a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Lewis Brinson tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Lewis Brinson gestures as he scores after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The San Francisco Giants’ Lewis Brinson celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher John Brebbia throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson pours water on his face prior to their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jarlin Garcia throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Joey Gallo hits a three-run home run after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Joey Gallo watches the flight of his three-run home run off of San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jarlin Garcia, right, during the second inning on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jarlin Garcia reacts after giving up a three-run home run to the Dodgers’ Joey Gallo during the second inning on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Joey Gallo, right, gestures as he scores after hitting a three-run home run as Max Muncy, left, and Justin Turner wait for him during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Joey Gallo, left, is congratulated by Max Muncy after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Joey Gallo, right, is congratulated by Max Muncy, obstructed, and Justin Turner, left, after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Hanser Alberto, left, and Justin Turner, right, pour water on Joey Gallo after Gallo hit a three-run home run during the second inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher John Brebbia throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, center, celebrates with Trea Turner, left, and Justin Turner after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Hanser Alberto, left, pours water over the head of Max Muncy after Muncy hit a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford hits a two-run home run off of Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson during the sixth inning on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford, right, rounds first after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson reacts after giving up a two-run home run to the San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Thairo Estrada during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy watches the flight of his second home run of the game, a solo shot during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy watches the flight of his second home run of the game, a solo shot during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he scores after hitting his second home run of the night during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy scores after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, second from left, is congratulated by Justin Turner, right, after hitting a solo home run as San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart, left, stands at the plate during the sixth inning on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith catches a pop-up hit by the San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski for the final out of the game on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Members of the Dodgers, including Max Muncy (13) congratulate each other after they defeated the San Francisco Giants, 6-3, on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, left, is congratulated by Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, left, talks with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, center, poses with members of the Rams cheerleader squad and Rams mascot Rampage before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Regardless of how it ends, he’ll always have Tuesday night.
Muncy went 3 for 4 with two home runs, and the Dodgers beat the Giants, 6-3, before an announced crowd of 39,752 at Dodger Stadium. It was Muncy’s first multi-homer game of 2022. His three RBIs were his most in a month.
“I made a couple mechanical adjustments right before the game,” Muncy said. “I was able to spot something on film that was able to keep me quieter in the box. I got to the top of the baseball. I’d been swinging underneath a lot again. I was able to make that adjustment.”
Muncy has been trying to make adjustments all season. For the most part, they haven’t paid off. His batting average is a paltry .192.
Muncy has never been a high-average hitter, but his slow recovery from a torn UCL in his left elbow late last season seemed to sap his power stroke too. His home runs in the second and sixth innings were his 17th and 18th this season, respectively. Since becoming an everyday player with the Dodgers in 2018, Muncy hasn’t finished a full season with fewer than 35 homers.
Tuesday was a reminder of Muncy at his peak. A double in his second at-bat Tuesday against Jarlin Garcia (1-4) allowed him to finish with 10 total bases, matching a career high he last achieved in a July 2021 game in Colorado.
“He’s been grinding all year to get to this position,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing as an offense. When he’s going well it seems like guys feed off that because he’s always in the middle of things.”
Between Muncy’s two home runs and a three-run shot by Joey Gallo in the second inning, the Dodgers collected all of their runs by virtue of the home run.
That was enough to support starting pitcher Tyler Anderson (14-3), who allowed three runs in seven innings.
Anderson allowed a home run to the first batter of the game, Lewis Brinson, who had also homered the previous night off a fastball too. The Giants’ aggressive approach forced the left-hander to adjust his.
The remainder of the night, Anderson allowed his changeup to lead the way. He threw just 26 fastballs out of 87 pitches total. Only one other ball left the yard, when Brandon Crawford turned on a changeup for a two-run homer in the sixth inning that stayed inside the right field foul pole. The Dodgers never trailed after the second inning.
The win reduced the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the National League West to seven games. The Dodgers improved baseball’s best record to 93-42, and mathematically eliminated the Giants (65-69) from repeating as NL West champions.
With former Dodger Alex Wood on the injured list, the Giants turned to a bullpen game to try to steal back-to-back wins at Dodger Stadium. Instead, the game got out of hand quickly.
Gallo’s fourth home run as a Dodger, in his 24th game since a deadline-day trade, came on a center-cut 3-and-1 fastball from lefty Jarlin Garcia in the second inning. That put the Dodgers ahead, 3-1.
In the third inning, Muncy scorched the first pitch he saw – another Garcia fastball – over the fence in right field for a two-run homer.
Muncy capped the scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning, an opposite-field shot, off right-hander Dominic Leone in the sixth inning.
“When he’s covering the entire strike zone, he’s hitting to all fields,” Roberts said of Muncy, “and it makes him so hard to pitch to.”
Trea Turner went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Chris Martin threw a scoreless eighth inning in relief of Anderson, and Craig Kimbrel recorded his 22nd save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Muncy and Anderson are especially familiar foes to the Giants. Muncy has hit more home runs against San Francisco – 20 in 68 career games – than he has against all but one team, the Colorado Rockies.
Anderson was a member of the Giants’ rotation for the 2020 season. The numbers suggest he was a different pitcher then; Anderson put up a 4.37 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) during the pandemic-shortened season. He routinely exited starts after the fifth inning or earlier.
“When I was there, I was coming back from a pretty big knee surgery,” Anderson said. “I was still finding my way back into pitching. I’ve been able to get to a good spot with my health the last few years. To be able to keep building, instead of working on something and trying to work through ‘can I make this adjustment because of a physical thing?’ – once that gets behind you, you can make the adjustments you need to.”
The Dodgers are getting the best version of Anderson, whose 2.73 ERA ranks fifth among qualified National League pitchers.
For one night at least, they got the best version of Muncy too.
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