Giants rally against Kenley Jansen, Dodgers lose again in extras

LOS ANGELES -- The Giants rallied against Kenley Jansen in the 10th inning for a 7-4 win over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers fell to 3-7 against the Giants in 2014 and are now 7-12 at home to start the season.

After Angel Pagan walked and Hunter Pence singled to open the 10th, Jansen threw a wild pitch, his second of the season, to move the runners to second and third. Buster Posey was then intentionally walked to load the bases, and Pablo Sandoval singled through a drawn-in infield to give San Francisco the lead. One out later, Hector Sanchez hit a bloop single to left for another tally.

After Jansen was removed, a wild pitch by J.P. Howell brought home a third run in the inning.

The Dodgers fell to 3-7 in extra-inning games this season. But they wouldn't have gotten to extra innings if it weren't for a ninth-inning rally.

After Dee Gordon doubled with one out in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez tied the game with a two-out, two-run home run against Sergio Romo, the third home run for Ramirez as a Dodger in eight at-bats against the Giants closer.

The Dodgers brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the 10th inning too, but Jean Machi struck out Miguel Olivo for his first major league save.

Clayton Kershaw allowed a run in the first inning on a pair of singles and a pop fly double by Sandoval. But he got into a groove and retired 15 of his next 17 batters faced to keep the Giants at bay.

Yasiel Puig led off the sixth inning with his second home run of the series, to tie the game. Hanley Ramirez followed with a ground ball through the infield shift and somehow made it safely to second base on a hustle double. He scored one batter later on an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

The Dodgers might have had more but Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single by Justin Turner, on a great throw from center fielder Angel Pagan, for the second out of the inning.

It was the second straight inning the Dodgers had a runner thrown out at the plate, as Andre Ethier ran home on the contact play in the fifth inning, out at home thanks to a great catch and tag by Buster Posey on an errant through by Brandon Hicks.

But immediately after getting the 3-2 lead, Kershaw allowed a single to Sandoval in the seventh inning, followed by a home run to left by Hicks, an an 0-2 count. What made the home run so stunning wasn't just that Kershaw gave away the lead, but that it was hit off a curveball.

It was the first regular season home run ever allowed by Kershaw on a curveball, according to pitch tracking by both FanGraphs and Brooks Baseball. Kershaw did allow one postseason home run on a curveball, to Matt Holliday in game 2 of the 2009 NLCS.

An ESPN feature by Joseph Werner in November 2013 pointed out three other home runs off Kershaw curveballs, but the point still stands. Whether Hicks' blast was the second or the fifth home run hit off a Kershaw curve, it just doesn't happen all that often.

"For me to give up that home run after we just get the lead right back was disappointing. The team played so well, and I kind of gave it up there in the end," Kershaw said. "I need to shut the door right there."

San Francisco tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning against Chris Withrow, his third run allowed this season.

The Dodgers put the tying runs on base with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but Santiago Casilla wiggled out of the jam by striking out Justin Turner to end an eight-pitch duel then getting pinch-hitter Carl Crawford to pop out to left field to end the frame.

Notes

Puig was 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Sunday was his 10th multi-hit game in the last 17 contests.

Kershaw struck out nine and walked none for the second consecutive start and on the season has 25 strikeouts against just one walk.

Ethier, in his first start since Wednesday reached base four times on Sunday, setting a season high with three hits, including two doubles.

Jansen's batting average on balls in play this season is .452 (19-for-42), including 1.000 (3-for-3) on Sunday. Not that it was any solace for Jansen. "I don't really watch my stats," he said. "I know what kind of stuff I have. I just have to keep competing, and I know it will work."

Sunday particulars

Home runs: Yasiel Puig (6), Hanley Ramirez (5); Brandon Hicks (7)

WP - Sergio Romo (3-0): 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 strikeouts

LP - Kenley Jansen (0-2): ⅓ IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Sv - Jean Machi (1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts