Dodgers 9, Giants 1
A.J. Ellis sliced a go-ahead double in the sixth inning and Ted Lilly remained unbeaten as host Los Angeles defeated San Francisco.
Ellis’ double just inside the right-field line off Barry Zito snapped a 1-1 tie and the Dodgers pulled away to win the first meeting of the season between the two National League West rivals.
Lilly (4-0) continued a solid start by giving up just one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
The Dodgers added a second run in the sixth inning when Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie committed a throwing error on a bunt single by Tony Gwynn Jr. to allow Juan Uribe to score. A throwing error by Giants reliever Steve Edlefsen in the seventh allowed Matt Kemp to score as the Dodgers increased the lead to 4-1.
The Dodgers broke the game open with a five-run eighth, with Andre Ethier’s two-run single being the biggest blow as Los Angeles improved to 11-2 at home.
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the third on Juan Rivera’s grounder with the bases loaded. San Francisco tied the score in the sixth on a run-scoring single to center by Joaquin Arias.
Kemp reached base four times, including three hits, while playing with a tight hamstring.
Zito (1-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended for 100 games after testing positive for the second time in his career … Lilly has allowed four or fewer hits in all five of his starts … Giants outfielder Angel Pagan went 0-for-5 to end a 20-game hitting streak … The five-run eighth marks Los Angeles’ highest-scoring inning of the campaign … Arias had three of San Francisco’s eight hits … The teams combined for six errors – three by each club … San Francisco’s Aubrey Huff (anxiety disorder) was activated from the disabled list Monday and flew out in the ninth as a pinch hitter.