Dodgers Stuck In The Middle In Loss To Giants

In a game filled with players who were on different teams seven weeks ago, it was Marco Scutaro who stood out. The former Rockie delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning to lead the Giants to a 5-2 win over the Dodgers in the first game of their weekend series.

The 5½-game deficit in the National League West is the largest the Dodgers have faced this season.

Entering the seventh inning the game was tied at 2-2, and both pitchers faced a situation with one out and two runners on base. Giants skipper Bruce Bochy removed a tiring Tim Lincecum in the top of the inning, and Santiago Casilla got out of the jam. But Dodgers manager Don Mattingly left in Josh Beckett, albeit with about 30 fewer pitches than on Lincecum's odometer, and Scutaro made him pay with a bloop single to right field to score two go-ahead runs.

The Dodgers certainly made Lincecum work on Friday night, as the right-hander threw 119 pitches in 6 1/3 innings. Lincecum walked a career-high seven batters, one in every single inning that he pitched. But the Dodgers didn't really make him pay, as none of those walks scored, and Lincecum allowed only two runs on the night.

Lincecum's previous career high was six walks, which he issued twice last season.

Adam Kennedy, the subject of much consternation during the pregame because he was in the lineup in place of Luis Cruz, homered against Lincecum in the sixth inning to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. But that lead was gone by the bottom of the inning, thanks in part to a misplay by Kennedy on a ground ball. Kennedy hurt his groin on the play and came out after the inning.

Matt Kemp went 0-for-5 and is now in a 3-for-30 slump. Adrian Gonzalez, Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Andre Ethier combined to go 0-for-17 on Friday night, with a walk. The result was 13 runners on base, and just two runs.

Up Next

The Dodgers will send Chris Capuano to the mound on Saturday afternoon in a Fox game, facing Matt Cain for San Francisco.

Friday's Particulars

Home Runs: Adam Kennedy (2)

WP - Santiago Casilla (7-5): 2/3 IP, 1 strikeout

LP - Josh Beckett (6-13): 6 1/3 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts

Sv - Sergio Romo (10): 1 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout