MLB.com
OS ANGELES -- The Giants have a scheduled off-day Monday in San Diego. The word "scheduled" should be emphasized.
Because at the current rate, manager Bruce Bochy might want to convene the ballclub for a review of the fundamentals that have eluded them in the season's first pair of games.
Another batch of errors, mental and physical, helped doom the Giants to a 4-3 loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose three-run uprising in the sixth inning offset Brandon Belt's first Major League home run.
Belt's drive to straightaway center field, a three-run clout in the fourth inning, gave San Francisco a 3-1 edge and provided the rookie first baseman with an almost indescribable feeling. Asked whether his teammates said anything memorable to him when he returned to the dugout, Belt said, "I don't remember. I couldn't hear anything. I was in the zone."
Jonathan Sanchez struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings, demonstrating that he had excellent stuff. But he could not hold the lead, as well as a comebacker that accelerated the Dodgers' surge.
Sanchez's muff was one of two errors the Giants committed, hiking their total to five in two games. They also neglected to cover third base during a third-inning sequence that helped Los Angeles open the scoring.
"We're just shooting ourselves in the foot. It's pretty simple," Bochy said.
Losing a one-run decision in a mostly well-pitched game for the second day in a row already has grown old for Bochy.
"Games like this, you need to play well defensively," he said. "Right now, we're not."
The Dodgers jumped ahead in the third inning, which began with Sanchez committing the egregious mistake of walking opposing pitcher Chad Billingsley. Sanchez also issued a two-out walk to Ivan De Jesus before Matt Kemp's ground-rule double scored Billingsley.
Belt's milestone gave the Giants a temporary boost. Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval singled before Belt batted with one out. He clobbered Billingsley's 2-0 fastball to straightaway center field, easily clearing the wall standing 395 feet from home plate. Belt remained outwardly cool as he circled the bases, though the Giants exulted in the dugout. Belt finally beamed as Sandoval hugged him near the bat rack.
"He said, 'It's like a dream,'" Sandoval said.
The Giants' euphoria evaporated in the sixth, along with their lead.
Kemp drilled a leadoff single and broke for second base as Marcus Thames grounded out to Sandoval, who fielded the ball on the grass in front of third base. Kemp barely hesitated as he rounded second and churned toward third, which the Giants left uncovered. Sandoval and Sanchez scrambled to the bag, but Kemp slid in ahead of Belt's throw. James Loney's sacrifice fly scored Kemp.
Kemp already has begun to shed his reputation as an indifferent baserunner. He's suddenly shrewd and opportunistic, due largely to the tutelage of first-base coach Davey Lopes, a master on the basepaths and a Giants tormentor in his day.
"Davey helped me a lot on the baases," Kemp said. "I continue to learn every day. Sometimes you take chances and that's the chance I took."
Sanchez still could have escaped the inning with the lead preserved, but never recorded the one out that he needed. Rod Barajas singled. So did Aaron Miles, on a dribbler that Sandoval charged and barehanded before throwing wildly past first base. Barajas moved to third while Miles took second.
Sanchez then botched pinch-hitter Hector Gimenez's comebacker between the mound and third base, almost completely missing the ball in his overeagerness. Barajas scored the tying run.
"That's an easy play for Sanchez," Bochy said. "He just whiffed on it."
That finished Sanchez, but not Los Angeles' rally as Rafael Furcal singled home Miles with the eventual winning run.
The Giants loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against right-hander Blake Hawksworth, who ended the threat by striking out Posey on a full-count pitch.
The outcome muted the jubilation Belt should have felt over his initial round-tripper.
"It's tough to enjoy," he said.
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