Dodgers go to San Francisco after losing third straight to Cards

The Dodgers put a new spin on Frank Sinatra riding high in April and shot down in May. They were rolling on Monday and staggering on Thursday.

Just in time to head to San Francisco for a three-game series. That’s called bad timing.

The Dodgers, such a hot team a moment ago, suffered their third consecutive tough defeat to the Cardinals, falling, 7-4, on Thursday afternoon in St. Louis.

That sends them to the Bay Area trailing the Giants in the National League West by three games. Last time they were in San Francisco, they failed to score a single run in three games.

Thursday the Dodgers overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring four times in the fifth on five consecutive singles, but left-hander Chris Capuano could not make it hold up.

Capuano (10-6) gave back all four runs in the bottom of the inning, leaving after surrendering six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. It was the 10th time in 21 starts Capuano has failed to pitch past the sixth inning.

By the day’s end, four Dodgers pitchers allowed a season-high 18 hits. And the Cardinals played without starters Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina.

That’s hardly how things had been rolling for the Dodgers. They had won five consecutive games after defeating the Cardinals on Monday, but little went right for them in the ensuing three games in St. Louis.

The fourth inning was the only time they really threatened St. Louis right-hander Jake Westbrook (9-8). Westbrook went seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six.

The Dodgers managed eight hits on the day, all singles.

New Dodgers infielder Hanley Ramirez again started at third, and went 1-for-2 with an infield single, a pair of walks and a stolen base.

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