Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Francisco Giants rode an early offensive burst to an 8-4 win over the Dodgers, spoiling Los Angeles' home opener.
The Giants struck for eight runs against Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu in the first two innings before they were silenced by the bullpen.
Ryan Vogelsong got the start for San Francisco and couldn't complete the fifth to earn the win. He allowed four runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out four in four-plus innings.
"I was executing early and then it got away from me," Vogelsong said.
Brandon Hicks doubled twice and knocked in a run for the Giants, who improved to 4-1 on the young season.
Ryu (1-1) was tagged for six earned runs on eight hits and walked three in his rough outing. Four relievers combined to toss seven innings of no-hit ball. They walked one and struck out 10.
Before the game, the Dodgers activated outfielder Matt Kemp from the disabled list. Kemp, who had been recovering from left ankle surgery, replaced a tardy Yasiel Puig in the starting lineup. Puig arrived late for batting practice.
"I think he truly thought the game was later. He handled it well," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about Puig.
The Dodgers returned home after going 4-1 in Australia and San Diego.
Ryu, who hadn't allowed a run in his previous two starts this season spanning 12 innings, retired the first two batters before the first inning snowballed.
Mike Morse, a new face on the Giants' roster, hit a two-run single after Pablo Sandoval walked and Buster Posey doubled.
A bizarre sequence of events then occurred.
Two bloop singles and a misplayed infield pop up led to 5-0 San Francisco lead. Vogelsong plated a pair after Ryu intentionally walked Joaquin Arias to load the bases. Angel Pagan followed with an RBI single to make it 6-0.
The Giants tacked on two more two-out runs in the second. Posey reached on a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez to open the inning and scored on Hicks' drive off the center-field wall. A single down the left-field line by Arias brought Hicks home.
"(Ryu) gave up some hits, but we didn't help him much," Mattingly said.
The Dodgers began to dig themselves out of the deep hole, but squandered chances to trim their deficit further, finishing 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Los Angeles had its leadoff batter reach in five consecutive innings from the third.
Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier smacked back-to-back homers off Vogelsong to open the fourth. Kemp doubled home Carl Crawford in the fifth and scored on Ethier's grounder up the middle against reliever David Huff (1-0).
Juan Uribe, who doubled in the previous frame, lined out to third with two men aboard. Huff fanned A.J. Ellis to end the fifth.
Los Angeles also stranded a runner at third in the sixth.
Game Notes
The Dodgers had won six straight home openers ... Outfielder Mike Baxter was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to open a roster spot for Kemp.
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