Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Andre Ethier hit a solo homer in the first inning and added a grand slam in the second, as the Los Angeles Dodgers jumped on the San Francisco Giants early en route to a 10-8 victory in the opener of a three-game series between National League West rivals.
Late Rally Falls Short As Giants Lose To LA
Matt Kemp filled the box score with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI and two walks for the Dodgers, who have won three of their last four.
Blake DeWitt knocked in a pair in the offensive outburst behind Vicente Padilla (1-1), who yielded three runs on four hits and two walks, while fanning seven in as many innings.
Juan Uribe drove in three runs, while Pablo Sandoval hit a solo homer for the Giants, who fell for the second time in three games. Todd Wellemeyer (0-2) surrendered seven runs on six hits and three walks in just four frames to take the loss.
Eugenio Velez hit a three-run homer in San Francisco's five-run ninth inning, but it was too little, too late for the visitors. Velez entered the game in the fifth inning when Aaron Rowand left the game after being hit in the helmet with a Padilla pitch. He walked off the field under his own power but was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
The Giants trailed by seven runs entering the ninth and got within 10-5 on John Bowker's run-scoring groundout and Uribe's two-out, RBI single. Ramon Troncoso relieved Russ Ortiz with runners on first and second and surrendered Velez's blast before getting Edgar Renteria on a bouncer back to the mound to end the game.
Rafael Furcal walked to lead off the home first and trotted home on Kemp's homer, the fourth consecutive game he went deep. Ethier followed with a solo shot to right for an early 3-0 lead.
Patience at the plate resulted in the bags being full for Ethier in the second as Padilla and Kemp walked around Furcal’s one-out single. Following a coaching visit to the mound, Wellemeyer grooved a first-pitch fastball that Ethier sent over the center field wall for his first career grand slam.
The Giants got on the board in the fifth on Uribe’s two-run single, but Renteria lined into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Waldis Joaquin relieved Wellemeyer in the fifth and promptly put the first three hitters on base via two singles and a walk. A four-pitch free pass to DeWitt forced in Reed Johnson, and James Loney came in for a 9-2 lead on Russell Martin's double-play grounder.
Sandoval led off the sixth with a homer, and DeWitt drove in the Dodgers’ final run in the seventh with a single.
This was the ninth multi-homer game of Ethier's career...Kemp is the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to hit a homer in the team's first four home games...Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez left the game in the fifth inning due to tightness in his right calf...The Dodgers have won seven of their last 10 over the Giants and took 11 of the 18 meetings overall in 2009...The Giants have won each of their first three series this season...Padilla pitched to an 11.42 ERA over his first two starts of the year...Loney had three hits and two runs scored for the Dodgers...Mark DeRosa had two hits and two runs scored for the Giants.
See More:
