Giants rough up Scott Kazmir in win over LA Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO >> Scott Kazmir pitched against the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in his first two starts this week as a member of the Dodgers. He had never pitched for a National League team in his life, let alone a National League West team. As introductions to the most disparate division in baseball go, this one ought to suffice.

Five days after he threw six masterful iings in San Diego, Kazmir was knocked out after four mistake-filled iings Sunday in a 9-6 loss to the Giants.

The Dodgers spotted Kazmir a 5-0 lead in the first iing. It wasn’t enough.

Ten batters contributed to the onslaught against Giants starter Johy Cueto, including Kazmir, who laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. Cueto allowed five hits, climaxed by a bases-loaded Trayce Thompson single. Cueto, who signed a $130 million contract with the Giants in December, couldn’t have scripted a worse introduction to 41,656 patrons at AT&T Park.

Eleven men contributed to the iing, if you include the video review umpire in New York who overtued an out call against Justin Tuer at first base. It was the third successful challenge by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in his first three tries this season. This one kept a critical early rally alive.

While the umpire crew remained glued to its headsets on the field, Cueto gingerly walked off an apparent injury to his right knee. Cueto had slipped on his way to back up a throw to home plate. By the end of the iing, Chris Heston was warming up in the Giants’ bullpen.

Not only did Cueto remain in the game, he flourished. Over the next six iings, he faced only five batters above the minimum. One scored, when Corey Seager followed Chase Utley’s double with an RBI single in the fourth iing. Seager has a 10-game hitting streak dating to last season.

While Cueto got better, Kazmir got worse.

San Francisco scored two runs in the bottom of the first iing, three in the third and one in the fourth to knock out Kazmir early. Brandon Belt, Buster Posey and Angel Pagan did most of the damage with home runs.

The Dodger bullpen took over in the fifth iing and the bleeding continued. Louis Coleman threw a scoreless iing but allowed a double to Pagan to begin the sixth.

Coleman gave the ball to J.P. Howell, who allowed a single and a two-run double. Over his last two appearances, Howell has allowed all six batters he’s faced to reach base.

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Hunter Pence’s long sacrifice fly off Yimi Garcia, gamely hauled in on the waing track by right fielder Yasiel Puig, gave the Giants a 9-6 lead.

Ultimately, Cueto left after seven iings to a standing ovation. He threw 22 pitches in the first iing and 82 thereafter. In the span of one afteoon, Cueto lost the home crowd’s favor and gained it back.

Kazmir hasn’t had the chance to do either, since Dodger fans still haven’t seen him pitch in person. The left-hander didn’t allow a run in his debut Tuesday in San Diego; he was charged with six runs in four iings Sunday.

Really, that was the story of the Dodgers’ week. They entered San Francisco with three wins, no losses, and a chance to set a record for consecutive shutout iings to begin a season. They fell one iing short of tying the record, then needed to play 10 iings Saturday just to avoid a four-game sweep in their personal house of horrors.

Dating to last season, the Dodgers are 3-11 at AT&T Park.