(SportsNetwork.com) – The San Francisco Giants target a three-game sweep of
the NL West-rival Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday from AT&T Park.
The Giants took Tuesday’s opener by a 6-2 score, then recorded a series win
with a 3-2 verdict Wednesday night. Gregor Blanco scored the game-winning run
on a Joe Panik sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
Norichika Aoki and Matt Duffy both drove in runs, and starting pitcher Madison
Bumgarner opposed Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Bumgarner, the
reigning World Series MVP, did not record a decision and gave up two runs in 6
1/3 innings. The lefty struck out six and walked two.
Kershaw fanned nine batters and was reached for a pair of runs in six innings
for the no-decision. Chris Hatcher suffered the loss for Los Angeles, while
Santiago Casilla recorded the win with a scoreless inning of relief.
“I thought it would be a tight ballgame,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Bochy’s club has won three of four games after losing eight in a row and is
3-6 on a 10-game homestand. The Giants will play the next six games on the
road against Colorado and Los Angeles.
Ryan Vogelsong draws the start Thursday for the Giants and is 0-1 with a 10.45
earned run average in three games (1 start). Vogelsong is taking the rotation
spot of Jake Peavy (back) and has pitched in relief the last two games. He was
hammered in a start on April 7 at Arizona, where he allowed seven runs across
4 2/3 innings.
Vogelsong, a right-hander, has a 4-4 record to go along with a 3.90 ERA in 23
career meetings (14 starts) with the Dodgers.
Alex Guerrero hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning last night to even the
score at 2-2, but San Francisco’s ninth-inning rally was on the horizon.
“Our guys capitalized,” Panik said. “We didn’t miss our chances. Especially
against somebody like Kershaw, you have to take advantage of those.”
The Dodgers have lost two in a row following a seven-game winning streak and
will turn to Mike Bolsinger Thursday for his Los Angeles debut. Bolsinger has
made two starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season and went 1-6 with a
5.50 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) for the Diamondbacks in 2014.
“It’s not like the first time you got called up,” Bolsinger said of his chance
on the big stage. “But in a way, it kind of was because you’re playing for the
Dodgers. There’s only a few teams in Major League Baseball that you can really
be blown away with, and Dodgers is one of those. It’s an awesome feeling. Very
honored.”
The right-handed Bolsinger has lost both of his starts against the Giants.
LA will visit San Diego next for three games this weekend.
The Giants were 9-10 against the Dodgers last season with a 3-6 mark at home.
