Dodgers blow late lead, get swept by Giants in San Francisco

The Dodgers scored early then took the rest of Thursday off. The Giants tied the game in the ninth, then were a step ahead of Don Mattingly throughout the 10th inning, winning 3-2 in extra innings to sweep the Dodgers at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Justin Maxwell delivered the winning blow, a single down the left field line with one out against Juan Nicasio to send the Dodgers to a third straight loss. Angel Pagan singled to open the 10th inning, then with one out and a 1-2 count on Brandon Belt, Mattingly called for a pitch out, to no avail.

One pitch later, Pagan stole second, then Mattingly for some reason challenged the safe call at second base even though replays were at best inconclusive, certainly not enough to prove Pagan was off the bag. Then on a 3-2 count Mattingly ordered an intentional walk of Belt. Maxwell, who was 4-for-11 (.364) during the series and made a number of big defensive plays in right field, then ended the game.

This marked the fifth sweep in the last 10 Dodgers-Giants series in San Francisco.

Alex Guerrero, making just his third start of the season, continued his magical April with a home run to left center field in the second inning against Ryan Vogelsong for a 1-0 lead. Guerrero later singled and finished 2-for-3. He's hitting .474/.450/1.211 on the season, with 12 RBI in 20 plate appearances.

Adrian Gonzalez, hotter than anyone in baseball the first 2½ weeks of he year, snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a shot to dead center in the third inning for a two-run advantage.

Mike Bolsinger earned his promotion for Thursday's start, no matter how long it lasts, with a very strong start to the year in Triple-A Oklahoama City, with 17 strikeouts in 11 scoreless innings, and he kept on rolling against the Giants.

Bolsinger allowed only five hits and two walks while striking out five, pitching scoreless ball into the sixth inning. He allowed just one run, a two-out RBI single in the sixth inning by Belt.

Chris Hatcher struck out Maxwell for the last out of the sixth, followed by another scoreless inning from Yimi Garcia in the seventh.

The eighth inning looked like trouble for the Dodgers, especially when Joel Peralta walked his first two batters to load the bases with two outs. But in a series that saw umpteen infield singles go against them, the Dodgers got a break, in the form of a scorching line drive up the middle. But his two-run single fell squarely into the glove of a diving Howie Kendrick at second base to end the inning and preserve the lead.

"How to not make friends in San Francisco" - by Howie Kendrick pic.twitter.com/tUt8noKbuj

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) April 23, 2015

Pedro Baez was asked to pitch the ninth inning, in search of his first career save, but that was over in a matter of six pitches, with a single by Casey McGehee and a triple by Brandon Crawford. Not only did that tie the score, but it put the winning run 90 feet away for San Francisco with nobody out. But Baez was able to get a strikeout, pop out and fly out to left field, in the right order, to send the game into extra innings.

The Dodgers loaded the bases in the 10th inning against closer Santiago Casilla, but Gonzalez struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

After the Gonzalez home run in the third inning, the Dodgers had three hits and a walk in the final seven innings.

Up next

The Dodgers head to San Diego to finish off their week-long road trip, with Zack Greinke getting the start on the mound on Friday night at Petco Park. The Padres will counter with Andrew Cashner, who allowed three home runs to Gonzalez at Dodger Stadium on April 8.

Thursday particulars

Home runs: Alex Guerrero (4), Adrian Gonzalez (6)

WP - Santiago Casilla (2-0): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP - Juan Nicasio (0-1): ⅓ IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk