Homepage / MLB

Sports Channels


Los Angeles Dodgers (87-74) At San Francisco Giants (76-84), 4:05 P.m.

(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the postseason and will wrap up a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants this afternoon from AT&T Park.

Los Angeles clinched a postseason berth with a 4-2 win on Saturday and has won six in a row. The Dodgers are tied with San Diego atop the NL West standings, but a Padres win on Sunday over Arizona will give them the division title based on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

If San Diego wins the Dodgers will take the wild card and face New York in the National League Division Series.

On Saturday Greg Maddux hurled seven solid innings, while J.D. Drew drove in two runs to lead the Dodgers over the Giants. Maddux allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Takashi Saito pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save of the season.

Julio Lugo also drove in a pair of runs and Kenny Lofton had three hits for the Dodgers.

Toeing the rubber for LA on Sunday will be rookie Eric Stults, who will take the place of Derek Lowe. Lowe was slated to pitch in the series finale, but will rest for the upcoming playoff series.

Stults will make his second career start and held the Mets to a run and two hits with two walks over six innings of a 9-1 victory on September 10. He has made three relief appearances since then and has never faced San Francisco.

Sunday's game may be the last for Giants manager Felipe Alou, who has been with San Francisco the past four years. Alou is the winningest Latin American- born manager in major league history.

Also, star left fielder Barry Bonds could be on his way out too. Bonds is on the verge of passing Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king and his five- year, $90 million contract will expire after this season.

Bonds, a seven-time NL MVP, is 22 home runs shy of eclipsing Aaron's mark of 755 career homers. Bonds admitted he wants to stay with the Giants because of his age and reluctance to move.

On Saturday Lance Niekro homered and had two RBI for the Giants, who have lost eight of their last nine. Starter Matt Cain ended his rookie campaign on a sour note, as he allowed four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. Cain walked two and struck out four in his third straight losing start.

San Francisco will send Jason Schmidt to the hill on Sunday and he is 1-2 in his last six starts. Schmidt lost his last outing on September 25 against Arizona, allowing four runs through seven innings.

He is 1-2 in five starts versus the Dodgers this season and 12-9 with a 3.64 earned run average in 33 career games (32 starts) against them.

Los Angeles is 12-6 against the NL West-rival Giants this season.


Sports E-News

Sign up to receive daily sports headlines.
 


Links We Like

Sponsored Content
Symptoms of bipolar disorder may vary from person to person. Learn how to spot periods of mania and depression. More

Employers generally have options when it comes to hiring. Makes sure you present yourself as professionally as possible, or else. More

Don’t believe everything people tell you about home improvement. Check out the top 4 myths and stop throwing away your money. More

Studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of stroke. Find out what they are here. More

Sponsored Links