Dodgers trounce Giants
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andre Ethier finished 2-for-4 with a two- run single and a walk as the Los Angeles Dodgers trounced the San Francisco Giants, 9-1, in the opener of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium on Monday.
Juan Rivera added two RBI, Mark Ellis, Adam Kennedy and A.J. Ellis contributed an RBI apiece and Matt Kemp went 3-for-3 with a run scored an a walk, raising his major league-leading batting average to .406. Los Angeles has won two of its last three games.
Ted Lilly (4-0) gave up just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joaquin Arias went 3-for-4 and knocked in the only run for the Giants, who took two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend,
Barry Zito (1-1) yielded three runs on eight hits and four walks over six innings while whiffing three.
With the game tied at one, Los Angeles took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the sixth, then blew the game open with six more runs over its final two at-bats.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bobby Abreu started the rally in the sixth with a one-out single and Juan Uribe walked. Ellis then knocked home Abreu with a double to right and Uribe came home on a pinch-hit single by Tony Gwynn Jr. coupled with an error by Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie to make it 3-1.
Kemp ripped a double down the line in right in the seventh and scored from on a throwing error by relief pitcher Steve Edlefsen to push the Dodgers lead to 4-1.
Ellis opened the Los Angeles eighth with a single, Gwynn reached on a fielding error by Buster Posey and Dee Gordon reached on an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Mark Ellis drew a walk to score A.J. Ellis and Kennedy brought home Gwynn with a pinch-hit single to right. Ethier followed with a single to left to score Gordon and Rivera capped the frame with a groundout to bring home Kennedy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier, the Dodgers opened the scoring in the third when Mark Ellis ripped a one-out double, Kemp was intentionally walked and Ethier also walked to load the bases. Ellis was then able to cross the plate on a groundout by Rivera to give LA an early 1-0 lead.
San Francisco responded to tie the game in the sixth. Melky Cabrera laced a single to begin the frame and moved to second on Kemp's fielding error. After Posey struck out and Pill flied out, Cabrera advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Arias.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier on Monday, Giants reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended 100 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance...San Francisco went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base.