Giant Comeback in LA

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Juan Uribe keeps coming up with some of the biggest hits for the San Francisco Giants.

Uribe hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Jonathan Broxton in the ninth inning and Brian Wilson escaped a jam in the bottom half to preserve San Francisco's wild 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

Uribe was hitless in three at-bats before sending a 1-0 pitch into the left-field pavilion with one out. Ten of his 18 homers this season have either tied or given the Giants the lead, and he's been one of their major run producers, driving in 73 in 123 games.

"He's come up with some big homers," outfielder Cody Ross said. "This one couldn't have come at a better time. It's a huge win."

Buster Posey, Edgar Renteria and Pat Burrell also connected for San Francisco, which erased a 4-0 deficit and moved within two games of NL West-leading San Diego.

"It wasn't looking good, but we just chipped away," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's hard to get a bigger win at this stage. You're hoping some games do spur you on and build some momentum."

Broxton (5-5) was back at closer for the first time since Aug. 21, but he picked up his sixth blown save in 28 chances.

"He capitalized on a mistake," Broxton said. "It was right down the middle and it didn't move the way it should have. I just made one mistake and I paid for it."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre used Hong-Chih Kuo to finish the eighth, and didn't want to bring him back in the ninth after he had pitched Friday night.

"My conscience wouldn't let me do that for a kid I haven't pitched back-to-back very often," he said. "With who was still available to us, I felt that he (Broxton) was still a no-brainer for me to put out there in that situation."

Los Angeles put runners on first and third with one out in the bottom half of the ninth but Wilson recovered in time to earn his NL-leading 39th save. Rod Barajas flied out to right and pinch-hitter Reed Johnson bounced into a fielder's choice to end the game.

"It would have been great to be able to snatch it back from them," Torre said. "We were in a position to do that, but we weren't able to do it."

Broxton struck out Jose Guillen to open the ninth, but Ross reached on an infield hit to shortstop Rafael Furcal before Uribe gave the Giants the lead for the first time in the game.

"I was like, `I know I have to get down this line because he has a cannon as an arm,"' Ross said.

Jose Lopez (4-2) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win.

The Dodgers scored four times in the fourth inning, getting a three-run homer from Jay Gibbons and an RBI double from Casey Blake.

Gibbons, who was promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 8, sent a 1-0 pitch into the Giants' bullpen in left field, driving in James Loney and Blake.

Furcal, who led off the fourth with a walk and stole second, scored on Blake's double into the left-field corner.

"We controlled most of that game, and it's just unfortunate that it happened," Gibbons said. "Right now it hurts, but tomorrow we'll come back and try to win the series."

The Giants climbed back into the game behind leadoff homers from Posey in the seventh and Renteria in the eighth. After the second homer, Octavio Dotel replaced Ted Lilly and promptly gave up a homer to pinch-hitter Burrell.

Lilly allowed two runs and three hits in seven-plus innings for Los Angeles.

Matt Cain gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Giants.

NOTES: The Dodgers fell to 61-7 when leading after eight innings. ... Loney tried to stretch a double into a triple leading off the sixth. He fell down after rounding second, and got thrown out while trying to get back to the bag. ... Guillen struck out all four times up, the first three looking. ... The Giants' four homers tied a season high, and it was the first time the Dodgers have allowed four in a game this season. ... Wilson tied Greg Minton for fourth on the club's career saves list with 125.

Contact Us