Dodgers Put On Hitting Display, Rout SF 17-0
The Giants' longest home winning streak in more than a decade ended with a resounding thud, and starting pitcher Tim Hudson was at a loss to explain the mess.
That was appropriate since Hudson couldn't figure out the first-place Dodgers either.
Zack Greinke pitched six scoreless innings and hit his fourth career home run, and Los Angeles set a major league high with 24 hits in a 17-0 win over San Francisco Giants Saturday night to build on its lead in the NL West.
Hudson lasted just 11 batters and allowed six runs and eight hits in the shortest outing of his 16-year career.
"It wasn't in the cards for us," Hudson said. "I got us off to a bad start (and) it kind of snowballed from there. It was a tough night for us, me in particular."
One day after being held to three hits in a 9-0 loss, the Dodgers doubled that output in the first inning against Hudson then coasted behind Greinke's 15th win this season.
Greinke (15-8) combined with three relievers on the shutout and improved to 4-0 in six career starts against the Giants. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner gave up hits to two of the first three batters he faced then retired 16 of the next 18. He struck out five.
The Dodgers extended their division lead to two games over the Giants and are guaranteed of leaving this series between the top two teams in the NL West in first place.
"They punched back," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We got knocked out early. We couldn't get a ball hit at somebody in the first inning and I think that took something out of Huddy."
The Giants managed just five hits - only three after the first inning.
Jose Uribe and Scott Van Slyke homered, Hanley Ramirez went 4 for 5 and Matt Kemp had three hits and three RBIs for the Dodgers. Every position player had at least one hit by the second inning, and the team set a major league high for hits (24) this season.
Greinke doubled in the fourth then homered off reliever Mike Kickham in the sixth, a two-run drive that put Los Angeles up 13-0.
The Dodgers scored in six of the first seven innings and knocked Hudson out of the game in the second.
It was almost a complete reversal from a night earlier when San Francisco jumped on Los Angeles left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu for four runs in the first inning.
The loss ended the Giants' 10-game winning streak at AT&T Park, their longest at home since 2003.
"This is a game we have to wash off," Bochy said. With that score, you're glad it's just one loss."
It's the Giants' largest margin of defeat against the Dodgers since both franchises moved west in 1958. The Dodgers also set AT&T Park records for most hits and runs by a visiting team.
Despite the lopsided loss the game still held a special spot for Bochy. That's because the Giants manager got to hand the ball to his son, Brett, to pitch in the sixth inning in his major league debut. The younger Bochy gave up a two-run home run to Van Slyke in the seventh, and had one strikeout and one walk.
"It was special that he was there for it," Brett Bochy said. "My adrenaline was rushing and it was a lot of fun out there."
Dodgers: Ryu will leave the team and fly to Los Angeles on Monday to have an MRI on his left shoulder. The 14-game winner will likely skip his next scheduled start. ... LHP Paco Rodriguez was activated from the 15-day DL after missing 35 games with a teres major strain.
Giants: Michael Morse (left oblique strain) could take batting practice beginning Monday. ... 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) has been cleared to resume baseball activities and is likely to be activated off the disabled list next week.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (18-3) pitches the series finale and has a 1.40 career ERA in 23 starts against San Francisco.
Giants: RHP Yusmeiro Petit (5-3) is winless in four career starts against Los Angeles.