Dodgers Unleash Beastmode Upon the Bay, Pounding Giants 10-0, Clinch Series Win

Non-existent offense, and shoddy defense was the Giants undoing as the Dodgers win their second straight game in San Francisco in as many days. The Dodgers who got shutout in all three games last time they were there, have scored 15 runs total in the first two games. Today they battered Barry Zito, for four runs on seven hits, through 5.1 innings, and scored 10 runs on 13 hits. The Dodgers clubbed eight extra-base hits, including two home runs. One from Matt Kemp, and another shot from A.J. Ellis. Kemp was 4 for 5 on the day ending a week long slump. Bison drove in four runs, collecting two doubles, a single, and a two-run home run off of Zito in the first inning. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 with three RBI. Both Ellis’s and Luis Cruz had two hits. The ten runs were more than enough to back a great start from Chad Billinglsey who picked up the win. Bills pitched into the eighth inning allowing only four hits, whiffing two, and not walking a single batter.

This was the first time the Dodgers beat the Giants by ten runs or more in a shut-out since July of 1997. The Dodgers clinch the series victory and move to within one game of the Giants for first place. Here is how the blowout played out.

Top of the first. Mark Ellis leads of with a single to left off of Barry Zito. Andre Ethier flies out to Cabrera for the first out. Matt Kemp then goes bomb, in the same spot to left center field, that Hanley hit his game winning home run last night. 2-0 Dodgers, on Bison’s 15 home run of the year. Hanley Ramirez grounds out. Jerry Hairston pops out to end the inning.

Chad Billingsley begins the game by inducing Nate Schierholtz to ground out to Rivera. Bills gets Ryan Theriot, also known as Tootblan to go fishing for the first whiff of the game. Melky Cabrera grounds out.

Juan Rivera leads off the top of the second with a sharp grounder to third. Luis Cruz doubles down the left field line, to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. However, A.J. Ellis whiffs, and Bills pops out. The Dodgers waste Cruz’s double. Bottom of the second. Giant’s catcher Buster Posey doubles into the gap. The slumping Angel Pagan flies out to left. Brandon Belt grounds out to first. Newly acquired Marco Scutaro, pops up to shortstop, the Dodgers get out of it, and the Giants strand Posey at third base.

Top of the third has Mark Ellis flying out, and Ethier whiffing on three pitches. He wasn’t happy about the call, because he thought he had foul tipped it. Kemp grounds out, and Zito has a 123 inning. Bottom of the third. Brandon Crawford grounds out. Zito grounds back to the box, and Schierholtz a broken bat pop up to end the frame.

Top of the fourth has Hanley Ramirez whiffing for the first out. Hairston draws a one out walk. Rivera of course whiffs. Then with Cruz at the plate, Posey throws out Hairston trying to steal to end the frame. Dodgers still up 2-0. Matt Kemp robs Ryan Theriot of a hit in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bison diving to catch Tootblan’s line drive to center. Bills gets Cabrera to ground out, Rivera making a nice stretch for the second out. Posey flies out to Ethier in the right field corner to end the frame.

The Dodgers threaten in the top half of the fifth. Cruz singles into left. A.J. Ellis doubles into the left field corner, sending Cruz to third with none out. Bills battles Zito with the bat himself, finally flies to left to score Cruz, for a sacrifice fly. The Dodgers take the lead 3-0. Cabrera’s throw misses the cut-off man, and AJ takes third. Ellis pops out, but not deep enough to score AJ. Ethier grounds out, and fails to get AJ home, but the Dodgers pick up a run.

Pagan leads off the bottom of the fifth, with a leg double. He just barely beats the throw from Ethier, knocking the ball out of Ellis’s glove while sliding. Belt whiffs looking. Scutaro grounds out to third. With Crawford batting, Bills uncorks a wild pitch, that moves Pagan to third. Crawford weakly grounds out to second, and the Dodgers get out of it. That’s the second lead-off double of the game the Giants failed to score.

Zito allows Matt Kemp to reach on an infield single to shortstop. Scutaro makes a nice try, but his throw is way offline. Ramirez hits into a force play. Hairston doubles down the right field line. Ramirez comes all the way around from first base to score. Schierholtz’s girl like throw is way off-line, and Hanley slides just under Posey’s out of position tag. Dodgers lead 4-0! Jhair takes third on the throw. The Giants finally hook Zito, and bring in George Kontos to replace him. Rivera grounds back to the box, Kontos looks Jhair back to third. Cruz flies out.

Bills keeps on rolling. In the bottom of the sixth, with the Dodgers up 4-0, Bills retires the Giants in order again. Aubrey Huff just activated off the DL, and was double switched into the game earlier, leads off and grounds out. Schierholtz, and Theriot both ground out as well to end the sixth.

The Dodgers score three more runs in the top of the seventh to blow the game wide open, and put the nail in the Giant’s coffin. AJ leads off with a booming home run to left field. 5-0 Blue. That’s AJ’s eighth home run of the season. After Bils whiffs, and M.Ellis pops out, Ethier reaches on a bumbling error by Crawford. Bison doubles home Dre, Hanley follows by doubling home Kemp, and the Dodgers now lead 7-0! Jhair’s grounder ends the frame. Bills takes the mound in the bottom of the seventh. Melky Cabrera hits a long fly ball to deep right field, and Andre Ethier robs him of an extra base hit by making a spectacular leaping catch against the chain-link fence wall! Melky is denied! Posey flies out, and Pagan grounds out.

Our old friend Brad Penny comes in to pitch the top of the eighth for the Giants and pitches a 123 inning. Bills takes the mound again for the bottom of the eighth. He has only allowed two hits so far. Blanco flies out to center, but Scutaro and Crawford both single. Bills has reached 100 pitches, and with a seven run lead, there is no reason to keep him in. Mattingly hooks him and brings in Javy Guerra. Huff whiffs, but Schierholtz singles to load the bases. Theriot grounds out though, and we’re all good.

Penny still pitching the top of the ninth. Ellis singled. Gwynn walked. Bison collects his fourth hit, a double to drive in his fourth run of the game. Ramirez singles up the middle to drive in both Gwynn and Kemp, and the Dodgers are pounding the Giants 10-0. Javy Guerra pitches a 123 bottom of the ninth inning, as the Dodgers win 10-0, and win the series.

This game was pure unimaginable unfiltered Joy. I was almost at tears, it was so wonderful. I think we can all end the Chad Billingsley hate since he has been very good since coming back from the DL. Bills performed very well today and should be commended for it.

Tomorrow the Dodgers will go for the sweep, in another afternoon game. Clayton Kershaw will duel Ryan Vogelsong tomorrow on Prime Ticket. The Dodgers improve to 55-47 on the season. Remember what I said about momentum? Yes, the Dodgers have some of that now, and they need to crush the Giants tomorrow and go home in first place. The addition of Hanley Ramirez has no doubt energized the Dodger lineup however when Beastmode is unleashed, there is nothing that can stop him. Join us tomorrow as we root on our boys in blue to victory. Sorry Giants, but revenge  is a dish best served cold. Go Blue!