The Dodgers lost 4-3 on Sunday to the Giants, and with the four-game series wrapped up, it is probably safe to say that this is not what anyone expected headed into the weekend. The overall result of the weekend series is unwelcome, but on Sunday the loss did not come as a surprise since the Dodgers were resting Andre Ethier (ankle), Carl Crawford (back), Yasiel Puig (hip), and Hanley Ramirez (back).
Edinson Volquez got the start with Chris Capuano battling groin issues and he did not necessarily have that bad of a game. He gave up three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings, but all of them came off of home runs hit by Hunter Pence who was unstoppable this weekend.
Volquez has allowed 10 earned runs in three starts, but he has found some command on his pitches with Los Angeles. In San Diego he struck out 120 batters to 72 walks, but 16 batters to just one walk with the Dodgers. He had seven strikeouts in his 5.2 innings Sunday.
The Dodgers only runs came in the fifth inning when they got back-to-back singles from Volquez and Dee Gordon. Mark Ellis got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Adrian Gonzalez, who doubled down the right field line to clear the bases for three runs, putting the Dodgers up 3-1.
Despite nine hits, and 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position, these were the only runs they could push across the plate. Gonzalez came up two other times with runners on, but was walked because there were no other good bats in the lineup.
The two-run lead was not safe with the red-hot Hunter Pence in the Giants line up. He hit a two-run homer off Volquez, his second of the day, in the sixth inning to tie the game up at 3-3.
J.P. Howell, and Brian Wilson kept the game tied headed into the eighth, but Paco Rodriguez gave up the Giants third home run of the game. This time a solo shot to Brett Pill to give them a 4-3 lead.
The Dodgers had one last shot to tie the game up in the ninth inning with Sergio Romo on the mound. They loaded the bases with two outs, and Yasiel Puig was brought in to pinch hit, but he grounded to short stop for the final out of the game.
The loss is the Dodgers third in a row, fourth in five games and seventh in ten games. In the four-game series they were outscored by the Giants' Pence 12-11. He finished 8-17 with five home runs, 12 RBIs and only one strikeout.
The only bright side to this awful series is that the Dodgers still have a magic number of four with a three-game series against Arizona starting Monday. Two wins in the series will clinch the division, securing them a spot in the playoffs.
