• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Giants jolt Dodgers with two runs in ninth

Aug 11, 2008 - 1:30 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Eugenio Velez slapped a single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the San Francisco Giants to a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

It was the second straight walk-off victory for the Giants, who sealed a series win against their longtime rivals and lifted them to their first winning homestand of the season.

Hong-Chih Kuo (3-2) allowed back-to-back singles by Randy Winn and Aaron Rowand in the ninth. Pinch hitter Omar Vizquel then popped up on a bunt attempt before the Giants loaded the bases on a fielding error by Casey Blake, allowing Luis Castillo to reach.

Emmanuel Burriss tied it with a fielder's choice RBI, just beating out the throw and setting the stage for the rookie Velez.

"I knew once I hit that ball that I wouldn't be hustling if I didn't beat that ball out," Burriss said. "Once I hit it on the ground I realized they were going to get an out, I just wanted to make sure they didn't get two and get that run in."

"I just tried to get my pitch and put it in play," Velez said. "When I hit the ball, I didn't think he was going to catch it, that's why I went so fast. When I saw the ball past the pitcher, I knew the game was over."

Winn gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first. Los Angeles tied it in the third after a triple by Andre Ethier and an RBI groundout by Jeff Kent.

Winn capped a two-out rally by driving in two more runs in the fourth, giving the Giants a 3-1 lead.

"It was a nice series for us," Winn said. "Hopefully (we can win) without coming back every night. That would not be ideal, but I think it's a good sign for us to get this one and see guys battle and battle. It paid off the last two nights."

Los Angeles bounced back for a run in the fifth. Matt Kemp ripped a triple to left-center and scored on an RBI single from Ethier.

Manny Ramirez gave the Dodgers the lead in the seventh. Kemp hit a one-out double and Ethier followed with a walk. After getting Kent to fly out, the Giants elected to pitch to Ramirez and the slugger responded with a screaming line-drive double to left-center staking the Dodgers to a 4-3 edge.

"I don't really feel like I tried to throw it any harder (to Ramirez)," San Francisco starter Matt Cain said. "We had a chance to get him out there and I didn't make my pitch and he made me pay for it and it almost cost us. Huge props to those guys. They kept pushing and pushing. That's awesome to see out of us."

Ramirez, who was hit by a pitch in the first, continued to produce for his new team. He is hitting .459 (17-for-37) with 11 RBI in nine games since the Dodgers acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox.

While not sharp, Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley made pitches when he needed to and got some big outs. The righthander allowed three runs and nine hits with six strikeouts.

"It would have been a nice victory for him for how hard he had to work to just get through six, but again, it wasn't his best outing as far as command of stuff, but I see a lot of maturity there as far as trying to make it work," said Los Angeles manager Joe Torre, who admits the team feels they let opportunities slip away during the series.

"We're playing hard. I have no complaints at all, other than the final score," Torre said. "These guys have been playing hard and I appreciate that and they want it badly. We just need to keep fighting it."

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy appreciated the effort he saw from his club, which has now won three series in a row for the first time since early last season.

"First of all, a heck of a series and to come back these last two games and get great wins like this - it does so much for the spirit, the mood of a ballclub, the sense of confidence that goes through the club house and how important it is to fight nine innings," Bochy said. "The intensity that was here in this series, the crowd you could hear them. It was a lot of fun out there. It's great to come off two series like this before we hit the road."

Jack Taschner (3-1) got the win for the Giants, striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning.

Cain gave up four runs and six hits - four for extra bases - with four strikeouts.