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Kemp leads Dodgers past Giants 4-2

Aug 11, 2009 - 6:19 AM By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO(AP) -- Joe Torre was less concerned with a shrinking division lead than he was with a blow to the Los Angeles Dodgers' confidence following a recent slide.

The Dodgers addressed both in the highly anticipated opener of a key three-game series against their longtime rivals.

Matt Kemp hit a three-run double to back a strong effort from Hiroki Kuroda and help the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Monday night.

"It's really too early to concern ourselves with winning anything," Torre said. "It's just a matter of trying to minimize your bad stuff. We're coming off a three-game losing streak at home. Anytime you do something like that it pokes holes in your confidence."

Los Angeles had lost three straight and 11 of 17 heading into the series, cutting their lead in the NL West to 5 1/2 games over San Francisco and Colorado. That led Torre to call a clubhouse meeting after Sunday's loss to Atlanta. He also shook up the lineup, moving Russell Martin to second and dropping Manny Ramirez to fourth for the first time this season.

Ramirez sparked a four-run fourth inning with a one-out single. Following back-to-back walks by Jonathan Sanchez (5-10) to load the bases, Kemp hit his double to clear the bases and then scored on Mark Loretta's single.

Ramirez was loudly booed by a sellout crowd in his first game in San Francisco since coming back from a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug rules - payback for the treatment former Giants slugger Barry Bonds used to get in Los Angeles. Ramirez finished 2 for 4.

"It felt like a playoff atmosphere out there," Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson said. "It was loud, the fans were into it."

The big fourth inning proved to be more than enough for the Dodgers, who won for the sixth time in the last seven games started by Kuroda (5-5). Kuroda allowed a solo homer to Travis Ishikawa in the second inning and nothing else in his 6 1-3 innings as the Dodgers avoided their second four-game losing streak of the season.

Ishikawa's eighth homer came just after Fred Lewis was caught trying to advance to second on a pitch in the dirt. The Giants didn't get another hit until Eugenio Velez's infield single to lead off the sixth. Kuroda then got Freddy Sanchez to hit into a double play. Kuroda allowed six hits and one walk.

"We faced a guy who threw the ball well and we didn't do much offensively," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "This is not the way you want to start a series but it's not desperation time. We need to relax and play our game."

The Dodgers used four relievers the rest of the way. Jonathan Broxton pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances, allowing a solo homer to Bengie Molina. With a runner on second and two outs, second baseman Juan Castro made a diving stop on a grounder by Ryan Garko to end the game.

Castro was in the game because Hudson left earlier with a groin injury that could sideline him for a couple of days.

"This was huge for us," Broxton said. "We went through a little skid and we just have to come out of it and hopefully tonight will be the start of it."

Bochy was ejected after arguing two plays at first base with umpire Bill Hohn.

The first came in the third inning when Sanchez was called out even though replays appeared to show he beat the throw from third baseman Casey Blake. Then in the fifth, pinch-hitter Rich Aurilia was called out on the back end of the double play even though it appeared that Loretta's foot was off the first-base bag when he picked up a throw in the dirt. Bochy argued and was ejected for the third time this season.

"He blew both calls, that's all," Bochy said. "I didn't agree with them and I saw them pretty good. It's frustrating when you see a blown call."

NOTES: Giants CF Aaron Rowand did not start because of a strained hamstring. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. ... Sanchez allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. ... Dodgers All-Star RHP Chad Billingsley will miss Wednesday's start with a strained left hamstring.