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Giants-Dodgers Preview

Sep 5, 2010 - 6:22 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (74-61) at Los Angeles (69-66), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants faced long odds in rallying from a four-run deficit to even this series with the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

The odds of winning the series may be just as long based on Jonathan Sanchez's winless record against Los Angeles heading into Sunday night's finale at Dodger Stadium.

San Francisco (75-61) trailed 4-0 after six innings Saturday before hitting four homers in a 5-4 victory. Juan Uribe hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Jonathan Broxton with one out in the ninth inning and closer Brian Wilson escaped a jam in the bottom half for his NL-leading 39th save.

"It wasn't looking good, but we just chipped away," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's hard to get a bigger win at this stage. You're hoping some games do spur you on and build some momentum."

The Giants pulled within two games of stumbling NL West leader San Diego, which has lost nine straight. San Francisco concludes this 10-game trip with a four-game set that starts Thursday at Petco Park.

The fourth-place Dodgers (69-67) lost for the fifth time in seven games, and missed a chance to pull within seven games of the Padres.

"We controlled most of that game, and it's just unfortunate that it happened," said left fielder Jay Gibbons, who hit a three-run homer. "Right now it hurts, but tomorrow we'll come back and try to win the series."

The Dodgers may like their chances against Sanchez (9-8, 3.54 ERA), who is 0-5 with a 6.25 ERA in nine career starts against them, and has not lasted past the fifth inning in the last eight. He gave up five runs over five innings June 30 in an 8-2 home loss to Los Angeles.

Sanchez took a shutout into the ninth inning before being lifted after a leadoff walk Monday against Colorado, and Wilson blew the save in a 2-1 loss.

"I could have finished the inning. He (Bochy) wanted to go with the closer, though," Sanchez said. "I was on. I had all my pitches working for strikes."

The left-hander has had his share of problems with Matt Kemp, who is 9 for 20 with a home run against him.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre indicated that Kemp and second baseman Ryan Theriot will likely be back in the lineup after neither started Saturday.

It's unlikely that Hiroki Kuroda (10-11, 3.39) will pitch better than he did Monday when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in a 3-0 home win over Philadelphia. Shane Victorino's single broke up Kuroda's bid, and was the only hit the starter allowed over 7 2-3 innings.

"His stuff was electric," Torre said. "He had great location, he mixed it up, he overpowered some and finessed others."

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in six career starts against the Giants. He's limited Aaron Rowand to one hit in 11 at-bats and Freddy Sanchez to two in 12.

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval could return to the Giants' lineup after he sat out Saturday with tightness in his hips.