Giants strike first in crucial series against Dodgers, earn dramatic 13-inning win

The first time Brandon Belt rounded third base and chugged toward home plate, he knew the game was in extra innings and one run could very well give the San Francisco Giants a win in the first game of their crucial series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The baseball was flying in from centerfield, thrust by the imposing arm of Yasiel Puig. Puig has made a habit of pulling off insane throws and this would be another one. It was a perfect strike to the plate. Ball caught, tag down, Belt was out. The second time Belt rounded third base and chugged toward home plate, two more innings had passed and one run had an even better chance of giving the Giants a win and eventually sending a sleepy crowd home. The baseball was flying in from left field this time, thrust by Carl Crawford, who is very obviously not Puig, not by a long shot. It was a clunker of a throw to plate, with a better chance of hitting someone in the dugout than nailing a runner at the plate. There was no ball, no tag, Belt was easily safe. There were a lot of interesting moments in what eventually became a 5-2 win for the Giants on Monday, but these two stood in such stark contrast of each other that they tell the story...