Dodgers downplay concern after latest defeat

If the Dodgers are panicking, they’re not saying.

In the wake of a 3-2, 12-inning defeat to the second-place San Francisco Giants on Monday night, the Dodgers downplayed their level of concern about their magic number remaining at two for a third consecutive day.

The Dodgers have dropped eight of their last 10 games and are winless in seven games at AT&T Park this season.

Manager Don Mattingly and his players tried to frame their latest defeat in a positive light, saying the game marked an encouraging change in the team’s mentality.

Whereas Mattingly felt the Dodgers were looking ahead when they were swept by the last-place Colorado Rockies over the weekend, he thought his players regained their concentration Monday.

“As the game went on, it felt better and better, honestly,” Mattingly said.

Andre Ethier, who sent the game into extra innings by driving in a run on a ninth-inning groundout, had similar thoughts.

“You can see how guys got that feeling and edged back at the end of the game,” Ethier said.

Greinke said the Dodgers happened to end up on the wrong end of a well-played game.

“I thought we played great,” Greinke said. “They played really good also.”

Does it still feel as if it’s a matter of time until the Dodgers clinch the division?

“I think it’s more playing as good as we can and not focusing too much on that,” Greinke said. “Just doing what you can and having good at-bats and making good pitches and playing how we play, and things will take care of themselves.”