The Dodgers once again held a mid-game lead over the Giants, but once again their starting pitcher gave it back. Ted Lilly gave up home runs to Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot (yes, Fontenot) in the sixth inning, giving the Giants the lead and the eventual 4-3 win over the Dodgers to take the series at AT&T Park. The Dodgers head home with a 6-6 record.
Fontenot wasn't even supposed to be in the lineup tonight. Mark DeRosa was penciled into the lineup against the southpaw Lilly, but DeRosa was a late scratch for precautionary reasons with soreness in his left wrist. Fontenot, a left-handed batter, was a career .230/.284/.338 hitter against southpaws, so his double and home run against Lilly came as a bit of a surprise.
Fontenot has had two extra-base hits off left-handed batters twice in one game only one other time in his career, and that was against Eric Stults and the Dodgers on May 30, 2009. Fontenot before tonight only had one home run against a left-hander, as mentioned by Vin Scully during the television broadcast, and that was off David Wells on June 15, 2007. Fontenot's home run on that day helped secure a win...for Lilly.
Casey Blake moved around the diamond tonight. He started at first base, his first game at first since last July 18, and his first start there since August 20, 2008. Then, in the eighth inning, Blake moved to left field on a double switch. It was the second time as a Dodger that Blake has played left field, and the first time since May 24, 2009.
Tony Gwynn hit himself into scoring position with a double in the top of the eighth inning, but ended up getting thrown out when he got caught too far off second base on a wild pitch that wasn't (the pitch bounced in front of the plate but Buster Posey snagged it on a hop). Brian Wilson again retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his second save in as many nights.
Notes
- Rod Barajas crushed a pitch from Jonathan Sanchez into the seats in left field in the fourth inning, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. It was the team-leading third home run for Barajas. The rest of the Dodgers have a combined four home runs.
- Aaron Miles had three hits, including an RBI double that gave the Dodgers a short-lived 3-2 lead.
- Hong-Chih Kuo is alive and well, and was actually used in a ball game. For the first time since Friday, Kuo pitched. He was wild, walking two and striking out two, and was pulled with two outs in the eighth inning
- Matt Kemp is human after all, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts
- Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in four at-bats
- The Dodgers return home for an eight-game homestand Thursday night to face the Cardinals. Hiroki Kuroda will face Jaime Garcia in the series opener.
WP - Jonathan Sanchez (1-1): 6 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
LP - Ted Lilly (0-2): 6 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 2 strikeouts
Sv - Brian Wilson (2): 1 IP, 1 strikeout