Sun Jul 6 19:29:52 2008

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Loney, Dodgers topple Giants to win series

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San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - James Loney hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers downed San Francisco, 5-3, to win the rubber match of a three-game series with the Giants.

Andre Ethier went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while Matt Kemp scored once and drove in one for the Dodgers, who have won five of their last six games. Eric Stults started on the mound and gave up two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits in four-plus innings of work. Brian Falkenborg (1-1) got the win for pitching a scoreless fifth.

Emmanuel Burriss went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored while Rich Aurilia slammed a solo home run, the 1500th hit of his career, for the Giants, who have dropped four of seven. Matt Cain (5-7) was tagged with the loss for giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings of work.

The Dodgers got on the board in the first inning as Ethier punched a one-out single and Loney brought him home with a double to right. Loney was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning.

The Giants, though, tied the game in the bottom of the first as Fred Lewis led off with a double and later scored on a Bengie Molina ground out.

Los Angeles surged ahead in the third. Angel Berroa led off the frame with a single and Stults followed with an infield single. On the play, Burriss threw the ball away, allowing both runners to move up a base. Kemp then punched an RBI single and Ethier followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Stults for a 3-1 lead.

San Francisco got a run back in the fourth as Aurilia belted a solo home run deep into the left field stands to make it a 3-2 game.

The Dodgers gave themselves some insurance in the fifth. Kemp led off with a walk and Ethier followed with a single to put men on the corners. After Russell Martin struck out, Loney roped a double to left to bring home both runners for a 5-2 lead.

The Giants threatened in the bottom of the fifth. Ray Durham led off with a double and Randy Winn followed with a single to chase Stults from the game. Falkenborg then stepped on the mound and closed the door as he got Molina to fly out weakly to right, Aaron Rowand to foul out and Jose Castillo to strike out and end the frame.

Hong-Chih Kuo then pitched scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh for the Dodgers while Jonathan Broxton retired the Giants in order in the eighth.

Takashi Saito took the rubber in the ninth to close out the contest, but he immediately got into trouble. Burriss led off with a single, took second base and moved to third on a pinch-hit single from John Bowker. Saito then got Lewis to look at strike three. Durham lofted a sacrifice fly to right that plated Burriss, but Saito then got Winn to ground out back to the mound to finish the game and pick up his 16th save of the season.

Game Notes

The Dodgers have won four of six against the Giants this season...The Giants hit the road and begin a three-game set against the Mets in New York starting on Tuesday...The Dodgers host the Braves for three games starting on Monday...The upcoming All-Star Game roster was announced on Sunday and the Giants are sending pitchers Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson while catcher Martin is the lone representative for the Dodgers...Ethier went 2-for-2 against Cain and is 10-for-16 lifetime against him...Saito is 3-0 with 12 saves in 24 games against the Giants in his career...Cain is 0-4 in seven starts against Dodgers, who are the only team in the NL West he has yet to beat...Attendance was 38,290...San Francisco stranded nine men on base.