LOS ANGELES -- One of these nights, the Giants kept telling themselves, they will do everything right. A starting pitcher will plug in a dominant outing. The bullpen will hang tough in a close game. A hitter will step into the game's biggest moment and barrel one up.
The Giants received all those things Wednesday night. They everything right, just about. And they lost 1-0 at Dodger Stadium to fall three games back in the N.L. West.Brandon Crawford turned a baseball into an oblate spheroid against Joe Blanton with two runners on base in the eighth inning. Instead of rounding the bases, he coasted past first, folded his batting gloves and handed them to coach Bill Hayes.