Dodgers lose to Giants in 13, lead cut to 3 1/2

BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three early errors and no late offense. The Los Angeles Dodgers sure picked a poor time to stumble.

Instead of nearly slamming the door on the San Francisco Giants’ hopes of winning the NL West, the Dodgers saw their lead cut to 3 1/2 games with a 5-2 loss in 13 innings Monday night.

“You know you’re getting closer and you want to put the nails in the coffin,” catcher A.J. Ellis said.

After rallying to tie the score 2-all in the fifth, the Dodgers didn’t get a hit after the sixth and put only three runners on base during that stretch. Two were hit by pitches and the other reached on a throwing error.

“Of course we want to clinch against these guys,” said Matt Kemp, who committed one of the three errors after a miscue with Yasiel Puig in the outfield.

The Dodgers feel good about their chances in the next two games against the Giants. They’ve got Zack Greinke on the mound Tuesday and ace Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday.

“We feel the end is near,” starter Dan Haren said. “We know we have to win a few more games. We’re going to get there.”

Pinch-hitter Andrew Susac singled home the go-ahead run with two outs in the 13th for the Giants.

Susac singled to left field off Kevin Correia (2-4), scoring Brandon Belt. San Francisco tacked on two more runs to take a 5-2 lead on Gregor Blanco’s double.

Blanco homered and scored twice for the Giants, who snapped a three-game skid and remained tied with Pittsburgh for the two NL wild-card slots. San Francisco can clinch a playoff berth Tuesday night with a win and a Milwaukee loss.

Santiago Casilla (3-3) got the victory with two innings of relief, and Hunter Strickland pitched the 13th to earn his first career save.

The Giants had runners in scoring position in the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th but failed to score.

Belt tried to score on Brandon Crawford’s single to center in the 11th but got nailed by Puig’s pinpoint throw to the plate. Joaquin Arias struck out swinging to end the inning.

“I’m not happy we lost but I’m very happy with the throw,” Puig said through a translator.

The Dodgers tied it 2-all in the fifth on Carl Crawford’s leadoff homer and Dee Gordon’s sacrifice fly that scored Juan Uribe, who doubled.

The Giants extended their lead to 2-0 in the third on Joe Panik’s sacrifice to the pitcher that scored Blanco from third after Kemp’s three-base error in right field.

A week after Kemp and Puig exchanged words in the dugout at Colorado, they crossed each other up on Blanco’s routine fly. Both players were converging toward center field to make a play on the ball.

Kemp raced over and appeared to call him off, but Puig seemed indecisive and got in the way of the ball, which dropped. Kemp and Puig returned to their positions and looked at each other from a distance.

Blanco homered on a 3-2 count leading off the game to give the Giants the lead in front of 53,500 fans, the biggest crowd in the majors this season.

Puig was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and got hit by a pitch. Kemp was hitless in five at-bats with two strikeouts.

$10 MILLION DAN

Dodgers starter Dan Haren allowed one hit in seven innings. By going that deep in the game he activated a player option in his contract guaranteeing him $10 million if he pitches next season.

“It was a little bit weird. Everybody knew,” he said. “I’ve pitched good enough to deserve that. It’s a ton of money.”

Haren isn’t sure whether he will return next year, especially if the Dodgers were to win the World Series.

EXTRAS

The Dodgers fell to 5-12 in extra innings this season, including 3-8 at home. The game was the longest between the rivals since they went 13 innings on May 10, 2009, with the Giants winning 7-5 in Los Angeles.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: RHP Tim Hudson (hip) threw a bullpen session and is scheduled to start Wednesday, but could be replaced by RHP Tim Lincecum depending on how he feels. … OF Michael Morse (strained left oblique) had an MRI in San Francisco but had not received the results. … OF Angel Pagan (inflamed nerve in lower back) missed his third straight game and there was no timetable given for his return.

Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder inflammation) is throwing and will slowly be moved forward as his shoulder allows.

UP NEXT

Giants: Madison Bumgarner (18-9, 2.91 ERA) takes the mound with 11 career wins against the Dodgers, the second-most of any active pitcher against them. The Giants have won each of his last six starts. The left-hander’s 18 wins are the most by a Giants pitcher since Shawn Estes had 19 in 1997.

Dodgers: Greinke (15-8, 2.76) is 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA in four starts this season against the Giants.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up