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Puig boosts Dodgers over Giants

Jun 25, 2013 - 5:55 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - There isn't a player in baseball going better than Yasiel Puig right now.

The young Cuban phenom added another multi-hit game to his resume and knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth to boost the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the division rival San Francisco Giants on Monday.

Puig went 3-for-4 at the plate and drilled his seventh homer of the season. He has 12 multi-hit efforts in his first 20 career games.

"Puig is a phenomenal hitter," said LA catcher A.J. Ellis. "It's amazing how he handles the ball away. I'm happy he's on our side."

The Dodgers picked up their third straight victory while sending the struggling Giants to their seventh loss in 10 games and back to the .500 mark for the first time since April 7.

Madison Bumgarner (7-5) pitched into the eighth inning, but was yanked after allowing the first two batters to reach in the frame. He was charged with all three runs -- two earned -- on five hits.

Pablo Sandoval made his return from the disabled list and went 2-for-4 in the setback.

Paco Rodriguez (2-2) recorded the last two outs of the eighth to keep the contest tied at 1-1, and Puig put Los Angeles in front for good in the bottom half.

Puig would face George Kontos, who took over on the mound after Bumgarner served up a leadoff double to Nick Punto and then made a throwing error on Mark Ellis' sac bunt.

With runners on the corners, Puig pulled a 1-0 pitch through the left side to break the tie game. The Dodgers added an insurance run later in the frame when Ellis scored on Hanley Ramirez's hard hit liner off Brandon Crawford's glove.

Tony Abreu reached in the ninth for the Giants on a wild pitch strikeout, but Kenley Jansen fanned three in the frame to notch his fifth save.

"This was buzzards luck in a game like this," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "When you're in a rut, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. We had good at-bats, we just couldn't get the big hit to break it open."

Puig put his strength on display in the first, muscling a homer the opposite way. The shot stayed just inside the right field foul pole and staked the Dodgers to a 1-0 lead.

Andres Torres ripped a hanging breaking ball down the left field line in the second, plating Joaquin Arias to tie the score at 1-1. Arias came up lame while running on the play, however, and was forced to exit afterwards.

Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu did not allow another run the rest of his start. He allowed eight hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings.

Buster Posey looked to break the tie in the fifth on Sandoval's base hit, but slipped after rounding third and had to retreat. That left the bases loaded for Crawford and Ryu induced him into an inning-ending double play.

Game Notes

Prior to the game, the Giants announced that center fielder Angel Pagan will have surgery on his hamstring on Tuesday. He's expected to miss 10-12 weeks ... It's the Dodgers' first three-game win streak since April 5-7 ... Los Angeles ended a five-game losing streak to San Francisco ... The Giants optioned infielder Nick Noonan and pitcher Jean Machi to Fresno earlier on Monday. They also recalled pitchers Kontos and Mike Kickham from Fresno and placed pitcher Chad Gaudin on the 15-day disabled list.