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Zito Finally Shines As Giants Top Dodgers

POSTED: 10:47 pm PDT July 5, 2008

(Sports Network) - Barry Zito worked seven strong innings as the San Francisco Giants downed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2, in the second of a three-game set at AT&T Park.

Zito (4-12) got the win for giving up two runs on six hits with a walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts for the Giants, who have won five of their last eight. Bengie Molina drove in a pair of runs while Ray Durham scored twice in the win.

"It's validation on the results side," said Zito. "Certainly I've known what's been going on since my Cleveland start. It's the kind of guy I remember being and I look forward to doing that more."

Andre Ethier and Andruw Jones each drove in a run for the Dodgers, who had a four-game win streak snapped. Chan Ho Park started on the mound and was charged with just one run on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over six innings. Brian Falkenborg (0-1) was saddled with the loss for giving up three runs.

"I don't think this is a step back by any stretch of the imagination," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "We've been playing well with a lot of enthusiasm right now and I'm certainly satisfied by the effort."

Trailing by a run to start the seventh, the Giants surged ahead in the frame with four runs. Joe Beimel started on the mound and promptly gave up a leadoff double to Jose Castillo. After Omar Vizquel sacrificed Castillo to third, Falkenborg took the mound.

Falkenborg got Rich Aurilia to strike out, but Fred Lewis followed with an RBI single to tie the game. After Durham worked a walk, Randy Winn gave his team the lead with a run-scoring single.

Cory Wade then took the mound and Molina greeted him with a two-run double to give the Giants a 5-2 advantage.

The Dodgers had men on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Brian Wilson came on the mound to retire Jones for the final out of the inning.

Wilson then worked a perfect ninth to pick up his 24th save of the season.

The Dodgers jumped out to an early lead. Matt Kemp led off the frame with a ground-rule double and Ethier followed with a double. After Jeff Kent later singled, Ethier came home on a fielder's choice by Jones for a 2-0 lead.

The Giants loaded the bases in the second, but Zito struck out and Fred Lewis then grounded out to kill the threat.

San Francisco was then retired in order from the third through fifth innings, but got on board in the sixth. Durham led off with a walk and moved to second on Winn's ground out. After Molina struck out, Aaron Rowand belted a double to right to bring home Durham and make it a 2-1 game.

After the first inning, the Los Angeles offense sputtered as Zito retired 13 straight batters. He got into a jam in the seventh as the Dodgers put runners on first and third with two outs, but he got Andy LaRoche to ground out back to the mound to kill the frame.

Game Notes

Zito is 4-3 lifetime against the Dodgers in eight starts...Los Angeles has won 15 of its last 20 games in San Francisco...San Francisco left eight men on base while Los Angeles stranded six...Attendance was 40,741.


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