Giants lose to Dodgers 4-2

Alex Pavlovic
Mercury News

Matt Cain didn't say a word, but his silence spoke volumes.

Cain is as baffled as anyone by his continued struggles against the rival Dodgers, who beat the Giants 4-2 Tuesday at AT&T Park. Knocked out after five innings, Cain just stared into space when asked about his 0-8 record in 14 career starts against Los Angeles.

Considering what the right-hander has accomplished in his six big league seasons, the record is unexplainable. But then, so is much of what the Giants have done on this homestand.

With their All-Star pitchers uncharacteristically scuffling and a lineup full of plodders without much pop, the Giants don't have much margin for error.

They need to do the little things to win, and Tuesday, they once again piled up the mistakes.

There was an inning-ending double play, a fielding mistake and a rally-killing baserunning blunder.

And that was just by Pablo Sandoval.

The rest of the Giants weren't much better. Throw in seven runners left on base and one location mistake by Cain (6-7), and the Giants had little chance of stopping their slide.

Losers of six of their past seven, the Giants dropped to 1-4 on the six-game homestand.

"We've just got to tighten things up," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's the little things that we've got to do better at."

One location mistake cost Cain and kept the growing Dodger-blue gorilla firmly entrenched on his shoulders.

With the score 1-1, Cain loaded the bases with two out in the fifth but quickly put James Loney in a 0-2 hole. Loney hung tough and lined the sixth fastball of the at-bat into right field for a game-changing two-run single.

"It just came down to me not getting a fastball low and away," Cain said. "It's on me. I didn't get the job done."

Cain lasted five innings, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and three walks. He blamed himself for the loss, but the rest of the Giants didn't provide much help.

The Giants were hapless against rookie John Ely (4-5), who scattered five hits over seven innings. After Andres Torres scored in the first inning, the Giants ended several threats with familiar mistakes.

Freddy Sanchez and Pat Burrell were stranded in the first after drawing walks, and Sandoval prevented a one-out, first-and-third situation in the sixth when he overran second base and was tagged out as he tried to return.

The Giants also hit into two double plays, giving them seven in two games and an NL-leading 83 this season.

Burrell put a second run on the scoreboard with a solo homer in the ninth, but with Renteria on first, pinch hitter Buster Posey lined out to shortstop to end the game.

"We're doing all we can to get this offense going," Bochy said. "We're having a tough time getting that extra hit. I think the guys are just pressing."

Cain received one run or fewer for the seventh time in 16 starts, but he didn't blame his teammates. Instead, he implored them to end a four-game losing streak in today's series finale.

"This is not the homestand we wanted," Cain said. "We have to win tomorrow to salvage it."

The task probably will be a little easier, as the Dodgers will be without Manny Ramirez, who injured his right hamstring running the bases in the first inning. Ramirez was the fourth opposing player in five games to leave with an injury, but the way the Giants are going, it might not matter.

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