Giants beat the scuffling Dodgers 9-3 as Devers and Adames spark a 7th-inning surge

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rafael Devers homered early and drew a bases-loaded walk that broke a seventh-inning tie as the San Francisco Giants beat the scuffling Los Angeles Dodgers 9-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Willy Adames added a two-run single in the seventh against a shaky Dodgers bullpen. The two-time defending World Series champions have dropped eight of 12, including three straight blowout losses, as their offense continues to falter. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in nine of those 12 games.

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts, making the four-time MVP hitless in 19 of 37 games with a plate appearance. Mookie Betts was 1 for 5 with a single in his first game since April 4 after returning from the injured list.

Los Angeles (24-17) fell out of first place in the NL West, dropping a half-game behind San Diego.

The Giants (17-24) won consecutive games for the first time since April 25-26 against Miami. They also snapped a seven-game road skid, during which they totaled nine runs, with their first win away from home since April 18 at Washington.

Devers homered in the second off starter Roki Sasaki.

With the score 3-all in the seventh, San Francisco loaded the bases against Alex Vesia (1-1) on consecutive one-out singles by Jung Hoo Lee, Luis Arraez and Casey Schmitt. Devers walked with two strikes to chase Vesia. One out later, Adames singled with two strikes against Will Klein, extending the lead to 6-3. Adames finished with three RBIs.

Dodgers reliever Wyatt Mills issued four walks and hit a batter with a pitch in the ninth, when San Francisco batted around and tacked on three runs.

Matt Gage (3-1) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Giants starter Trevor McDonald allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Max Muncy homered and hit an RBI single for Los Angeles.

Heliot Ramos' two-run double off Sasaki in the sixth put the Giants ahead 3-2. That chased Sasaki, who gave up six hits in five-plus innings while striking out five. The right-hander threw 56 of his 91 pitches after the third.

Giants outfielder Harrison Bader went 1 for 4 with a strikeout after coming off the injured list.

Giants RHP Adrian Houser (0-4, 6.19 ERA) starts Tuesday against Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-2, 3.09).

This story has been corrected to show Devers homered in the second inning, not the first.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Los Angeles, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, tags San Francisco Giants' Heliot Ramos out during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

San Francisco Giants' Heliot Ramos hits a two-run double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Chet Holmgren made a tiebreaking dunk with 32.8 seconds to play, and the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Los Angeles Lakers out of the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 115-110 victory in Game 4 on Monday night.

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers' tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

Los Angeles still lost six of its final seven playoff games and fell well short of the conference finals for the third straight season.

Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold.

After this test, the Thunder will get at least the rest of the week off before they open the conference finals against the winner of San Antonio’s second-round series with Minnesota. The Spurs and Timberwolves are even heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Oklahoma City went 8-0 against the Lakers this season, winning all four regular-season matchups as well — but this one was the toughest. The Lakers took the lead and kept it close down the stretch with big buckets from Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Holmgren’s dunk with 2:03 left put the Thunder up 109-103, but Hachimura coolly converted a four-point play. Marcus Smart then drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled in the final minute, converting a three-point play for a 110-109 Lakers lead.

But Holmgren got the ball inside and triple-pumped for a dunk with 32.8 seconds left, and James missed on his drive. After Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Reaves missed again, and the Thunder hung on to secure their sixth berth in the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons.

The Thunder won the first two games of the series at home by 18 points apiece, and they routed the Lakers 131-108 in Game 3.

Doncic missed the final 15 games of the Lakers’ season after incurring a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and he watched the season finale on the bench in a black sweatsuit. The Slovenian superstar apparently didn’t get close to returning from the injury, which often requires two months of recovery.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, grabs a rebound away from Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso, celebrates after scoring as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James stands behind during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, gestures after scoring as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso runs by during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren defends during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, takes a pass while under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)