Dodgers 2 - 3 Giants
Final/10
  for this game

Giants shoot for sweep of rival Dodgers

Apr 23, 2015 - 12:21 PM (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.






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