Baggs' Instant Replay: Giants 2, Dodgers 0

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCOThe Melkmen might have unintentionally invented a new dance craze in the fourth inning Tuesday night.

Call it the Melk shake.

Melky Cabrera sent his crisply ironed, white-shirted fan section into a froth when he hammered a slurvy hanger from Clayton Kershaw and sent it into the left field bleachers.

It was the scratch the Giants needed against the Dodgers ace and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, breaking his streak of 35 23 innings without an earned run at AT&T Park.

Angel Pagan scored the Giants other run in the fourth on Pablo Sandovals single when he ran through a stop sign, and there was no slowing down Ryan Vogelsong as he brought his ace-killing demeanor to the mound yet again in the Giants 2-0 victory over their archrivals.

The Giants used their second consecutive shutout to move within one game of first place in the NL West. They can claim a share of the division's top spot for the first time all season if they can complete a sweep behind Tim Lincecum on Wednesday.

The Giants hadnt recorded consecutive home shutouts over their archrivals since Aug. 15-16, 1987, when Dave Dravecky and Mike LaCoss threw complete games. (Dravecky outdueled Fernando Valenzuela and LaCoss went 10 innings to best Tim Leary in a 1-0 victory at Candlestick Park.)

Starting pitching report
Vogelsong (7-3) went seven shutout innings to beat Kershaw for the second time this season while also accomplishing something that no Giants pitcher had done for 29 years.

He completed at least six innings for the 14th time in as many starts this season; Atlee Hammaker was the last Giant to accomplish that feat during his All-Star season in 1983. (Hammaker actually completed at least six innings in his first 21 starts that year.)

Well have to check the tape to see if Hammaker flared his nostrils on the mound as Vogelsong does, or whether he paced the dugout like he was passing a kidney stone. Vogelsong, who measures himself by how he pitches against aces, brought his usual intensity and refused to give in with runners on base.

Vogelsong didnt issue another walk after Dee Gordon drew a free pass to start the game (and for the second consecutive night, was erased on a double-play grounder). He only struck out three, but one of them probably ranked as his most important out of the game.

The Dodgers threatened in the seventh when Jerry Hairston Jr. singled and Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a ball up the middle that shortstop Joaquin Arias fielded in the run. Arias tried to flip to second base but the acrobatic feed was a bit wide and second baseman Ryan Theriot couldnt react to it. Gwynn was credited with a single.

Vogelsong responded by striking out catcher A.J. Ellis, a tough out who entered with a .415 on-base percentage. Then Vogelsong ended his night by getting pinch hitter James Loney to fly out.

Although Kershaw had been impenetrable at China Basin, nobody has an extended comfort level here to match Vogelsongs love affair with the energy at AT&T Park. He has a 1.85 ERA here since the start of last season. Only the Angels Jered Weaver has a lower ERA at home over that span.

The Giants won for the ninth time in Vogelsongs last 10 starts. The right-hander also reduced his ERA to 2.23, which leads the staff.

Bullpen report

Jeremy Affeldt posted a perfect eighth inning and Santiago Casilla passed through a major test as the Giants full-fledged closer. He responded from just his second blown save of the season, when he served up Derek Norris walk-off home run Sunday at Oakland. Casilla pitched around a one-out walk and got two fly outs to record his 21st save in 23 chances.
At the plate

Its never an easy assignment against Kershaw, whose big, hard-breaking curveball was almost unfair when he twice threw it to retire Vogelsong. Kershaw threw another called curve that fooled Gregor Blanco so badly in the fourth inning that he tucked into the fetal position, expecting it to hit him.

But the Giants found a way to put the ball in play. Their eight hits off Kershaw were their most in 14 career games against him. They collected four of them in the fourth inning, beginning with Cabreras big swing on a 0-1 breaking pitch.

Buster Posey followed with a single, his second hit of the game. Angel Pagan reached on a fielders choice, stole his way into scoring position and then needed use of his legs again when Sandoval hit a flare to right field.

Pagan might have gotten deked when right fielder Andre Ethier held up his glove as if to catch the ball. But despite getting a late jump, Pagan ran through third base coach Tim Flannerys stop sign and scored easily when Ethiers weak throw wasnt cut off.

The Giants missed chances to add on, but their pitching staff didnt make them regret those missed opportunities.

In field

The Giants played errorless ball again and Sandoval made the Giants defensive play of the game in the fifth inning, when he rushed to scoop up Kershaws bunt in front of the plate and threw across his body to Arias covering second base to force the lead runner.

Attendance

The Giants announced 42,664 paid -- a season high, and another sellout, of course.

Up next
The Giants wrap up their three-game series against the Dodgers with a Wednesday matinee. Tim Lincecum (2-8, 6.07) tries for his first victory since April 22 while opposing right-hander Chad Billingsley (4-6, 4.15).