Brett Anderson: Anderson downs Giants to earn 10th victory

The San Francisco Giants’ Tim Hudson started Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in what was likely his final game as a professional ball player.

Anderson in his last two starts has matched his season high with 10 hits allowed.

“The defense was great”, Anderson said. “I could trust them. Hopefully, it carries over to the postseason”.

The Dodgers ended up playing spoiler, jumping on the Major League Baseball active win-leader (222) early and squeaking out a 3-2 win over the Giants.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, Jake Odorizzi allowed one run over seven innings as Tampa Bay beat Jose Fernandez and Miami for a three-game sweep.

“It’s something I didn’t expect, but I’m very grateful” Hudson said in his signature southern drawl to Amy Gutierrez regarding the ovation he received. “The last couple weeks have been a little bit of an emotioinal rollercoaster for me”. Hudson raised his cap to the announced crowd of 41,027 as he walked to the dugout, then toward the visiting dugout, where the Dodgers stood near the railing and applauded. The veteran southpaw struck out three and didn’t issue a walk on the afternoon.

Overshadowed by the retirement news was the performance of Anderson who was excellent on the day.

Yasmani Grandal discusses the Dodgers 3-2 victory over the Giants.

Just three balls left the infield against Anderson and no San Francisco runner reached second base until an eighth-inning throwing error by second baseman Howie Kendrick. I’m walking around, they have to tape me together just to be able to get me out there.

“Today was very special for me – the response of the fans and the response from my teammates. I’ve never crossed home plate, I should have taken it with me”. “Our defense was phenomenal”.

They scored their first run of the game in the second-inning, as Andre Ethier led-off the inning with a triple and then scored on Chase Utley’s sac-fly to jump ahead 1-0. Kelly’s only start against the Dodgers came in his final outing of the 2012 season, taking the loss after yielding five runs in 4 2/3 frames.

“We don’t want to go to New York“, Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said.

It’s more complicated than you might imagine.

Following their victory last night over L.A., the Giants are now 9-1 in their last 10 games versus the Dodgers in San Francisco. “That never happens, especially in this game”, Hudson said. “It added a few spice to my start”. If he does that again on Thursday, he’ll be the first Dodgers pitcher to allow 200 hits in a season since Derek Lowe and Brad Penny each did so in 2006.

I wonder if he’ll be Don Mattingly’s Game 1 starter…

Now, the Dodgers are on to a third straight year in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history – poised to take the next step at last and get back to the World Series at last.