The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off Tim Lincecum to help defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night in the final game of a three-game series between the two rivals. The key blow for the Dodgers was a bases-loaded triple by Tony Gwynn Jr. that turned a one-run deficit into a two-run Dodgers advantage.
Chad Billingsley had allowed two runs in four innings to that point, but was wild with four walks and had thrown 85 pitches. Manager Don Mattingly decided to pull his starter in favor of Gwynn, a move that paid off handsomely for the Dodgers.
"At that point, he's at 85 pitches, it's a 2-1 game. We've got a chance to score a run. At most he's got one more inning," Mattingly said.
Jamey Wright pitched two perfect innings, striking out three, for his second win of the season, and was able to bridge the gap to the back end of the Dodgers bullpen.
"We were able to grab that momentum there, and Jamey Wright came in and shut the door. His two innings were huge," Mattingly said.
Scott Van Slyke, making his major league debut, picked up a pinch hit RBI single in the sixth inning to score A.J. Ellis, becoming the first Dodger in 51 years to pick up a pinch-hit RBI in his first major league at-bat.
"I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be," Van Slyke said. "Stepping into the box I wanted to get that first swing out of the way to calm my nerves."
MRI results for Jerry Hairston Jr. showed a strained left hamstring that might land the utility man on the disabled list. The Dodgers will discuss what to do with Hairston on their off day Thursday, before the Colorado Rockies come to town on Friday. Hairston, who suffered the injury Sunday in Chicago, has missed the last three games.
"I'm holding out hope, but I want to be smart," Hairston said after the game. "If it's going to take 10 days to heal or 14-15 days, you'd rather take that especially this time of the year, than running the risk of blowing it out and missing two months."
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