Left Their Heart: Dodgers Drop Finale to Giants

The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t keep up their winning ways.  They went up against Tim Lincecum, but they might as well have faced a wall.  LA could only scratch out four hits, but three of those hits helped send the game into extras.  The contest started with a bang, as Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy was ejected arguing a call at first base in the top of the second.  In the bottom of the frame, Jeff Weaver loaded the bases with nobody out, but escaped the jam unscathed.  

After a quiet third and fourth, Pablo Sandoval fouled a pitch off his foot after a run scored.  However, thinking he was hit by a pitch on the shoulder, he immediately began shouting at James McDonald, Weaver’s successor.  Martin did not appreciate the reaction to a breaking ball that appeared to hit him around the elbow, so he began to talk to Sandoval.  The benches immediately cleared, though no one was ejected.  The portly third-baseman ended up walking, and with Hong-Chih Kuo in the game, he walked Fred Lewis with the bases loaded to force a runner home, increasing the deficit. 

LA came back in the sixth with Juan Pierre, who smacked a pinch-hit triple and scored after Rafael Furcal’s ground-out.  The game entered the top of the ninth with Lincecum still pitching.  Furcal hit a dribbler to Juan Uribe, who threw the ball to first.  However, the first-base umpire called Furcal safe, and after arguing the call Ron Watus, Bochy’s replacement, was tossed as well.  Russell Martin flied out to deep centerfield, allowing Furcal to tag up.  With two out and on a 2-2 count, Andre Ethier lined a single to the right-side to score the shortstop from second and tie the game. 

In the 10th, Guillermo Mota continued to struggle. He walked Travis Ishikawa, and afte recording the first out, Uribe drove a fastball into left-center field to send Giants fans home happy.  The Dodgers still left the Bay Area with improved ground in the NL West standings.  They will go into Arizona and start the series on Friday; Kershaw will go up against Dan Haren.