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For the first time since 2002 and the sixth time since the teams moved West in 1958, the Giants have thrown back-to-back shutouts against the Dodgers, completing the feat with tonight’s 2-0 victory over Los Angeles and Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw had one bad inning, but in the current run-scoring environment, it was costly. In the fourth inning, he surrendered a leadoff homer to Melky Cabrera, then a pair of singles with a stolen base in between for the other San Francisco run. Kershaw had to strike out the final two batters of the inning with the bases loaded to escape further damage.
Speaking of escapes, Kershaw took a liner to the ribs in the fifth inning, bringing forth flashes of every bad thing that’s ever happened to a pitcher, but nonetheless made his way through until the end of the sixth, leaving with eight strikeouts against 10 baserunners. Half of those 10 baserunners reached base in the fourth.
Paiving the way for their two shutouts, the Dodgers had another rare back-to-back feat when for the second night in a row, Dee Gordon drew a leadoff walk but was erased when Elian Herrera grounded into a double play. The team’s best look at the game was in the seventh inning, when Juniors Jerry Hairston and Tony Gwynn each singled with one out. But A.J. Ellis, who was 2 for 2, struck out on a 2-2 sinker in the dirt, and then, batting for Kershaw, James Loney hit what for him constituted a long drive – a fly to medium center field.
Ryan Vogelsong pitched seven innings for San Francisco, allowing seven hits and no walks after Gordon. He struck out three. Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla finshed things up.
Scoreless in their past 21 innings, the Dodgers have 13 runs in their past eight games, with one home run and 18 walks.