San Francisco @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2010 ) San Francisco 5, LA Dodgers 4
The San Francisco Giants were oh-so-close to once again failing to take advantage of a San Diego Padres’ loss. Everything changed when Juan Uribe clubbed a game-winning, ninth-inning home run on Saturday night.
Uribe’s blast finished off a comeback from a four-run deficit and the monumental 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers puts San Francisco just two games behind San Diego heading into Sunday night’s finale of a three-game series at Dodgers Stadium.
San Francisco has been struggling to gain ground on the Padres during San Diego’s nine-game losing skid and was in danger of missing out on another opportunity until a surprising power supply over the final three innings.
Buster Posey, Edgar Renteria and Pat Burrell all hit solo homers before Uribe’s decisive blast against Jonathan Broxton, the exiled closer getting his first save opportunity since Aug. 21.
The unlikely victory gives San Francisco a chance to climb within one game of first place should the Giants beat Los Angeles tonight and should Colorado finish off the sweep of San Diego.
The Dodgers have lost five of seven games and are moving closer toward seeing their slim wild-card hopes extinguished.
San Francisco sends Jonathan Sanchez to the mound today. The up-and-down left-hander has never beaten Los Angeles.
Sanchez is 0-5 with a 6.04 earned-run average in 13 career appearances (nine starts) against the Dodgers. His latest loss to Los Angeles was on June 30, when he gave up five runs – four earned – and six hits in four innings.
Sanchez pitched eight fabulous innings in his last outing against Colorado but didn’t get a victory when closer Brian Wilson recorded a rare blown save. Sanchez gave up one run and five hits in eight-plus innings.
Overall, Sanchez is 9-8 with a 3.54 ERA.
Los Angeles counters with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who is coming off his own stellar outing.
Kuroda took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino broke it up. Kuroda gave up one hit in 7 2/3 innings of the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory.
Kuroda had won back-to-back starts to improve his record to 10-11 to go with a 3.39 ERA.
In six career starts against the Giants, Kuroda is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA.
San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval sat out Saturday’s game with hip tightness. Sandoval went hitless in his last three games.