The San Francisco Giants wrapped up their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-2 loss on Thursday night, finishing the rivalry series with a split after taking the first two games.

Following the game, manager Tony Vitello discussed the club’s recent offensive struggles while praising the effort and energy shown throughout the series.

Vitello credited Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan for keeping the Giants lineup quiet, explaining that the right-hander’s combination of velocity and command made for a difficult matchup.

“When he’s mid-90s, it’s up in the zone and it’s a challenge to lay off,” Vitello said. “He combines it with a pretty good slider mixed in with a couple other pitches tonight, but it’s really kind of about that combo.”

The Giants manager admitted San Francisco’s hitters contributed to their own struggles by expanding the strike zone too frequently.

“We chased up, made him better, and really couldn’t piece anything together,” Vitello explained. “Last night I thought the at-bats maybe overall were a little bit better, but tonight we just didn’t string anything together.”

One of the few bright spots offensively came during Jung Hoo Lee’s inside-the-park home run, which briefly tied the game and energized the Giants' dugout. Vitello described the sequence as an example of how aggressive baseball can still create offense even during difficult stretches at the plate.

“It was a meaningful moment because obviously it ties the game,” Vitello said. “We get a guy on base, we put the ball in play, and those two things combined, along with some aggressive and hard baserunning, kind of made it all happen.”

Vitello also praised Lee for showing more emotion and personality on the field as the season has progressed.

“Jung Hoo’s really come out of his shell the last couple months,” Vitello said. “Anytime you see him emotional, it’s pretty fun.”

According to Vitello, Lee’s growing confidence is the result of increased comfort within both the organization and the clubhouse environment.

“I think just time accumulating, being in the country, being in the organization, playing, being healthy, getting comfortable with coaches and teammates,” Vitello explained. “I think you’re seeing who the guy really is.”

The Giants' skipper added that he wants the entire team to continue embracing that type of visible energy and emotion during games.

“The more personality we can show and the more attitude we can show, we might be able to win a few more of these games,” Vitello said.

Despite the loss, Vitello still considered a split on the road against the Dodgers a respectable outcome.

“Anytime you play on the road, if you can be .500 or above, it’s somewhat of a positive,” Vitello said.

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