Ryu takes loss as Giants finish sweep of Dodgers

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Ryu takes loss as Giants finish sweep of Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO - Giants ace Matt Cain didn’t make much of his first victory this season, even though it completed a series sweep of divisional rival Los Angeles.

Ending a two-week drought by San Francisco’s starting pitchers meant more to the three-time All-Star.

Cain pitched into the eighth inning to end the longest winless streak of his career, and Hunter Pence accounted for all of the scoring in the Giants 4-3 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday night.

“All of the starters, we just hadn’t been throwing the way that we wanted,” said Cain, who struck out four and walked three. “All of us wanted to get us off that little skid that we were on. It just took some time.”

Cain, who pitched six shutout innings against Los Angeles on opening day, gave up one run and five hits in seven and one-third innings and allowed only one runner past second base to win for the first time since Sept. 26, 2012.

The Dodgers couldn’t get out of AT&T Park fast enough. They were the only visiting NL team with a winning record at the Giants waterfront ballpark before the series but are now 60-60 since the stadium opened in 2000.

“I feel better about our club walking out of here right now than I did walking in,” said Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly, whose team has dropped three straight one-run games. “We played them tough the whole series. I feel great about coming out of here.”

The Giants won the first two games of the series on game-ending home runs but didn’t need any late dramatics this time, though the Dodgers made it close with three runs in the eighth.

San Francisco took an early 2-0 lead off Ryu Hyun-jin and made it hold up behind Cain (1-2) and five relievers.

It didn’t help that Mattingly had to scratch first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the lineup with a sore neck less than an hour before the first pitch. Gonzalez, who was also scratched from the first two games of the series, delivered a pinch hit two-run single in the eighth before leaving for a pinch runner.

Ryu (3-2) has been one of the most consistent pitchers for Los Angeles, except against San Francisco. He gave up 10 hits and three runs while taking the loss in his major-league debut on April 2, then allowed eight hits and four runs over six innings in the rematch.

The Giants opened with three straight singles off Ryu in the first but the Dodgers left-hander got out of it allowing only one run. Scutaro scored on Pence’s fielder’s choice grounder after Buster Posey hit into a forceout at home. Ryu then got Francisco Peguero on a fly ball to end the inning.

Pence, who was hitting just .211 with runners in scoring position, doubled Scutaro home in the third then hit a two-run double in the fifth to drive in Pablo Sandoval and Posey.

After Cain walked Matt Kemp in the eighth, A.J. Ellis singled off reliever George Kontos and Juan Uribe walked. Gonzalez followed with a two-run single to center and Uribe scored on an infield hit by Dee Gordon to make it 4-3. AP
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