Giants gain ground on Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO—A month ago, the Giants trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by a season-high 7 1/2 games, and Melky Cabrera almost singlehandedly produced the offence.
Suddenly, San Francisco is right back in the chase, and well before the All-Star break.

Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run double and sacrifice fly to help Barry Zito end a three-start losing streak, and the Giants beat NL West-leading Los Angeles 8-0 last night.
Angel Pagan and Hector Sanchez each drove in two runs as the Giants pulled within two games of the Dodgers for their closest position to first place in the division race since April 7.
“Considering where we were, it’s good to be in this situation,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
“There’s so much baseball left, and you’re where you want to be, which is right in the middle of things.
“Even at this stage of the season it’s important. You don’t want to be too far back,” he added.
However, even though they lost the opener and were swept by the Oakland Athletics over the weekend, the Dodgers are keeping focused on the big picture.
“Everybody’s building this series up like it’s a big deal,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said.
“For us, it’s one game. It’s a long season, a long grind. We play these guys a lot more throughout the year.
“Talk to me about the series in August or September and I’ll talk about if it’s a big series or not,” he stressed.
Zito (6-5), who had allowed 17 runs in 14 1-3 innings for a 10.67 ERA during the skid, defeated the Dodgers for the first time in 10 appearances and nine starts. He was 0-4 since his last win in the rivalry on May 8, 2009.
“It’s big,” Zito said.
“They’re pretty banged up over there and we’ve got to capitalize on that,” he stressed.
Pagan staked Zito to a quick lead with an RBI double against winless Dodgers rookie Nathan Eovaldi aided by a nice bounce off first base.
San Francisco got four straight one-out hits off Eovaldi in its four-run first—and the chants of “Beat L.A.!” from the sellout crowd of 42,164 began.
Sanchez added an RBI single in the inning, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Rick Honeycutt.
It marked San Francisco’s biggest first inning this season. Sanchez doubled in a run in the fifth.
“That’s one of those games where you sit there and everything kind of goes their way,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.
Zito allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings, struck out four and walked three. Two relievers completed the five-hit shutout, San Francisco’s seventh. Los Angeles was blanked for the fourth time and second in seven games.
Eovaldi (0-4) was tagged for a season-high eight runs and 10 hits, stretching his winless stretch to 11 starts since a victory in his major league debut last Aug. 6 at Arizona.
The 22-year-old right-hander, making his 12th career start, struck out one and walked one in five innings.
“It’s a good experience for him. He’s going to be fine,” Mattingly said.
“He’s not the kind of kid who’s going to get rattled over that,” he reasoned.
Elsewhere in the NL yesterday, Philadelphia defeated Pittsburgh 8-3, Cincinnati beat Milwaukee 3-1, St. Louis edged Miami 8-7 (10 innings), the Chicago Cubs thumped the NY Mets 6-1, San Diego shaded Houston 8-7 (10 innings), and Colorado doubled up Washington 4-2.