For any of you who thought the Giants would be reeling from losing Melky Cabrera... think again.
Powered by another strong game from leadoff hitter Angel Pagan and dominant starting pitching, the Dodgers looked lost again in going down for the sweep, 8-4. The Giants have opened a 2 1/2 game lead in the NL West.
If the Giants keep playing like that, maybe the Dodgers need to look at the Wild Card standings, where they are a game in back of the second spot held by the Cardinals.
Pagan once again set the tone for the evening with a leadoff double. Maybe the Dodgers should've just intentionally walked him to start the game. I'm guessing that would be a first! Marco Scutaro singled next for runners on the corners, and Pablo Sandoval's sac-fly RBI already made it 1-0.
Chris Capuano got Hunter Pence swinging for two down, so the damage could have been limited. Then Joaquin Arias stepped up and smashed a two-run homer to make it 3-0. Arias would go on to have a big night with three hits and five RBIs.
The Dodgers could only get one hit the first time through the order, a one-out double by A.J. Ellis in the third. In the fourth, Mark Ellis hit a leadoff double, but the big guns of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Hanley Ramirez all failed to score him.
Still down 3-0, the Dodgers suffered more frustration in the fifth. James Loney started things by singling off of Matt Cain. A.J. Ellis' single put two on, and Capuano's sacrifice gave Shane Victorino a chance for a big hit. Well... it didn't happen. He struck out to end the inning.
The game was pretty much over from there, as the Giants took advantage of the Dodgers' bumbling on offense. Pagan singled, Scutaro doubled, and Sandoval's RBI single chased Capuano at 4-0. Shawn Tolleson came in to strikeout Pence, but an RBI double by Arias made it 5-0. With two outs and the bases loaded, Justin Christian took a walk to force in a run, and it was now a blowout at 6-0.
The Dodgers finally got a run on the board in the sixth, as Ethier doubled with two outs, and Ramirez hit an RBI single to make it 6-1. Arias got that run back and then some, as his two-run double in the seventh put the Giants up 8-1.
At least the Dodgers got something going on offense in the eighth, not that it really mattered at that point. Mark Ellis hit his second double of the night, and Kemp came through with an RBI ground rule double. With the bases loaded and two outs, Luis Cruz hit a two-run single off of Santiago Casilla to make it 8-4. Any though of making a big comeback was dashed when A.J. Ellis grounded into the inning ending double play.
Needless to say, it was another disappointing night for the home team. Not only did they get swept by the hated Giants, but once again showed vulnerability at home. It's hard to explain why they're so bad at home right now, but they definitely don't look like a postseason team when they play like that. They look like the same old team that struggles on offense by not getting big hits.
Capuano had a bad start and bad end, as he failed to match Cain pitch-for-pitch. He lasted five innings for six hits, six runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. That's his lowest strikeout total since six starts ago when he had one against the Cardinals, which was also a bad loss. I guess it's pretty simple for him - the more strikeouts he gathers, the better he is. And vice versa as well.
The funny thing about the Dodgers is that as bad as they looked in this series, they're so streaky that they can turn right around and look great the next series. The problem with that is obvious - it's hard to win in the playoffs by being that inconsistent. There's no second chances in the postseason, so they need to do a much better job of halting slides when they happen.
If there was one positive from this game, it was the return of Rubby De La Rosa, making his first appearance of the season following Tommy John surgery last year. He gave up a couple walks in addition to two outs, but Jamey Wright couldn't help him out by giving up the two-run double to Arias in the seventh. Still, it's good to see De La Rosa back in the bullpen, and it should pay off.
Thursday will be an off day, which the Dodgers clearly need. The Marlins will be in town next for three starting Friday. They're one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this year, but with the way the Dodgers just played, nothing is a guarantee. Chad Billingsley will go against the returning Nathan Eovaldi.
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