Giants get two runs in ninth to stun Dodgers again

Published 11:31 pm Sunday, August 10, 2008

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Aaron Rowand scored from third on Eugenio Velez’s infield single, and the San Francisco Giants rallied with two runs in the ninth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Sunday.

The Giants rallied against their division rival for the second straight day, scoring two runs in the 10th inning to beat the Dodgers on Saturday. The pair of losses dropped Los Angeles two games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Jack Taschner (3-1) pitched one inning of relief to earn the win for the Giants. Hong-Chih Kuo (3-2) took the loss after allowing back-to-back singles to open the ninth inning, blowing a shot at his first career save in the majors.

Los Angeles had taken a 4-3 lead on Manny Ramirez’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning. Ramirez, who was hit in the batting helmet by a pitch from Matt Cain earlier in the game, fouled off a pair of pitches from Cain before lining the ball past San Francisco shortstop Ivan Ochoa. Kemp and Andre Ethier scored while Ramirez coasted into second.

Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley, who pitched a complete-game shutout against the Giants on July 30, allowed nine hits and left with the lead after six innings.

The double off Cain was Ramirez’s only hit of the game. He flew out twice and reached on a passed ball after striking out in the ninth. In nine games since being acquired in a trade from Boston on July 31, Ramirez is hitting .459 with two doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI.

Cain failed in his latest attempt at winning consecutive games for the first time this season. He walked four, giving him nine in his last two starts after going 16 consecutive innings without one.