Dodgers Beat Giants 4-3
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Dodgers' newfound aggression on the basepaths paid off with a second straight victory over the defending World Series champions.
Rafael Furcal singled in the go-ahead run to highlight a three-run sixth inning in Los Angeles' 4-3 win against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
The Giants remained winless after losing 2-1 in the teams' season opener a night earlier. They had two more errors to go with the three they committed in the first game.
"That's not what you thought would happen opening up here," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're just shooting ourselves in the foot."
In the opposite dugout, new manager Don Mattingly matched the 2-0 start of mentor and retired Dodgers skipper Joe Torre in 2008.
Another newcomer is making his mark, too. The Dodgers brought in Davey Lopes as first base coach after a 30-year absence from the organization, and he spent the spring fostering an attacking mindset on the basepaths.
"It's something we've been wanting," Mattingly said.
Chad Billingsley (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked one. The right-hander, who signed a three-year contract Wednesday, improved to 5-1 with a 1.37 ERA against the Giants at home since 2008.
"Guys played hard and fought," Billingsley said. "We're putting pressure on the defense to make plays. They have to make a good throw to get you out."
Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth to earn his second save.
Jonathan Sanchez (0-1) gave up four runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out eight and walked three.
The Dodgers rallied from a two-run deficit with three runs in the sixth. James Loney's sacrifice fly scored Matt Kemp, who singled and went all the way to third on Marcus Thames' slow grounder to third base.
"I was just trying to make some things happen," Kemp said. "My instincts were on point today. That's one thing we talked about in spring training. Everybody is trying to get that extra base."
Rod Barajas followed with a single and Aaron Miles reached on an infield hit to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, whose throw to first got past rookie Brandon Belt for an error, putting runners at second and third.
Hector Gimenez batted for Billingsley and followed with a dribbler to the left of the mound and Sanchez misplayed it for an error, allowing Barajas to score the tying run. Guillermo Moto relieved Sanchez and gave up Furcal's RBI single that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
"I went too fast on that play and I just missed it. That cost us the game," Sanchez said. "But that's baseball. We're not perfect. We're going to make errors."
Belt hit a three-run homer to center on a 2-0 pitch from Billingsley in the fourth to give the Giants a 3-1 edge. The 22-year-old first baseman got his first major league hit Thursday.
Billingsley, however, rebounded quickly.
"He bounced back the next inning and got three quick outs," Mattingly said. "That was big."
The Dodgers' first run came on Kemp's ground-rule double to left-center with two outs in the third.
NOTES: Giants LHP Barry Zito threw 35-40 pitches, two days after he was involved in a car accident in West Hollywood. "I was encouraged by it. I was expecting a stiffer guy," pitching coach Dave Righetti said, adding that Zito would be re-evaluated on Saturday. He remains possible to make his scheduled start in the series finale Sunday. ... Giants 2B Freddy Sanchez got a one-year contract for the 2012 season worth $6 million. ... Dodgers INF Juan Uribe sat out because of swelling in his elbow after getting hit by a pitch Thursday. ... A male fan in the ninth row got hit in the right temple by Buster Posey's flying bat as the Giants catcher struck out to end the seventh. After being tended to by medics, the man held up the bat as the crowd cheered. The bat sailed over owner Frank McCourt's box seat in the third row.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
