Dodgers Move 3-Games Ahead Of Giants With 4-2 Win
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- Clayton Kershaw outpitched Yusmeiro Petit for his major league-leading 19th win, and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved three games ahead of San Francisco in the NL West with a 4-2 victory over the Giants on Sunday.
Kershaw (19-3) boosted his credentials for the NL MVP and a third Cy Young Award with another big performance in a big start. The left-hander allowed seven hits, struck out nine and walked one in eight innings.
Kershaw lowered his majors-best ERA to 1.70, and put the Dodgers in command of the division.
Matt Kemp hit his 20th homer, and Juan Uribe and A.J. Ellis each drove in a run to back Kershaw's latest gem. Buster Posey and pinch-hitter Matt Duffy had RBI singles for San Francisco.
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his 42nd save in 47 chances.
The Dodgers and Giants have split 16 games this season. They have three games left against each other at Dodger Stadium next week, but the Giants might be left chasing a wild card spot by then.
Los Angeles leaned on its ace for the rubber game of a series that had been as topsy-turvy as any the NL West rivals have ever played. The Dodgers won 17-0 on Saturday after losing 9-0 to the Giants on Friday.
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second when the Giants committed two throwing errors trying to nab a hustling Hanley Ramirez on the bases after Uribe singled, then Ellis had a sacrifice fly.
The Giants cracked Kershaw in the third, though they wasted the opportunity. Posey singled home Petit before getting thrown out by center fielder Yasiel Puig going for second, stranding Joe Panik on third.
San Francisco seemed to be regaining the momentum behind Petit (5-4) and the announced sellout crowd of 41,932, but Kemp ended that with one swing in the sixth. His two-run homer to left-center put the Dodgers up 4-1, touching off another bubble-filled celebration in the visiting dugout at AT&T Park.
Petit gave up four runs—three earned—and eight hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked none.
Kershaw was thrown out at second by right fielder Hunter Pence trying to stretch a single into a double in the seventh. In the bottom half, Duffy's bloop single sliced Los Angeles' lead to 4-2.
Puig and second baseman Dee Gordon got tangled up going for the ball, but both stayed in the game. Kershaw quickly squashed San Francisco's rally, getting Angel Pagan to ground out with two runners on base.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly visited the mound after Kershaw retired Panik on one pitch in the eighth. He kept Kershaw in the game, and the lefty struck out Posey on three pitches before Pence flied out.
Kershaw has gone at least eight innings in seven straight starts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Carlos Frias (0-0, 3.91 ERA) will likely make his second career start Wednesday at Colorado in place of Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is scheduled to have an MRI on his troublesome left shoulder Monday.
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) will face pitchers before Monday's game at Arizona and will likely be activated Tuesday or Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Roberto Hernandez (8-11, 4.04 ERA) starts at Colorado on Monday. He has allowed five runs in each of his last two starts—both losses.
Giants: RHP Ryan Vogelsong (8-10, 3.90 ERA) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series at Arizona. He's 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts against the Diamondbacks this season.
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