Another Giant Step Backward

To paraphrase Michael Corleone, just when you think they’re out of it, the Dodgers pull you back in.

Such has been the lot of Dodger fans, who have been subjected to the depths of unfulfilled promises and disappointments before enjoying the heights of unbridled enthusiasm.

Wednesday night, in the Dodgers’ final home game of the season, the crowd of 49,375 visited both ends of the spectrum.

On a night when the Dodgers were without Shawn Green and every team in the chase for the National League wild card won, the Dodgers had a one-run lead after eight innings before the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 6-4 victory against closer Jeff Shaw.

Barry Bonds went one for two with three walks and remained stuck on 67 home runs.

Left-hander Terry Mulholland, acquired in a July 31 trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, scattered seven hits over five innings and gave up two runs in a spot start. Mulholland struck out four and walked one while throwing 83 effective pitches, 55 for strikes.

Right-handed reliever Giovanni Carrara pitched two scoreless innings and Matt Herges gave up a run in the eighth inning before Shaw entered in the ninth.

The Giants loaded the bases with one out, Benito Santiago tied the score with a sacrifice fly and John Vander Wal’s two-run bloop single to center against Jesse Orosco made the difference.

Giant starter Jason Schmidt gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out six batters but walked five while throwing 107 pitches, 57 for strikes.

The Dodgers scored first in the bottom of the first inning.

After Tom Goodwin led off by drawing a walk, he stole second for his team-leading 21st stolen base of the year.

After Mark Grudzielanek grounded out to third, Adrian Beltre singled to center, allowing the speedy Goodwin to score standing up.

The Giants tied it up in the second.

Shawon Dunston sat back on an 80-mph, 0-and-1 Mulholland curveball and drove it just over the fence in left-center for a solo home run. It was Dunston’s ninth homer of the season.

The Dodgers scored twice in the third to take a 3-1 lead.

Goodwin led off with another walk before Grudzielanek also drew a base on balls.

Beltre singled softly to center and when Goodwin stopped at third, the bases were loaded with none out.

But Gary Sheffield struck out, chasing high fastballs. Paul Lo Duca then hit a towering sacrifice fly to center, allowing Goodwin to tag up and score as Beltre moved to third on the play. It was Lo Duca’s 83rd run batted in of the season.

Eric Karros then hit a grounder that San Francisco rookie third baseman Pedro Feliz allowed to skip off his glove an into the outfield, Beltre scoring on the error.

The Giants closed within a run in the fourth on a pair of two-out doubles into the left-field corner.

Dunston, who had doubled down the third-base line, scored one batter later when Feliz doubled to the same spot.

The Giants threatened again in the fifth.

After Bonds walked with two outs, Jeff Kent doubled into the left-field corner, putting runners on second and third. Kent’s 46th double of the year tied the Giants’ franchise mark for doubles in a season set in 1978 by Jack Clark, the Dodgers’ current hitting coach.

Mulholland settled down, though, and struck out Andres Galarraga to end the inning.

The Giants threatened again in the seventh but Sheffield’s right arm and Lo Duca’s right leg stymied San Francisco.

With two out and Marvin Benard on second, after a pinch-hit single, and Bonds on first with an intentional walk, Kent stroked the first pitch he saw into left field.

Sheffield charged the ball, fielded it cleanly and threw to the plate, his throw arriving on one bounce and just behind a sliding Benard.

But Lo Duca put on an exhibition on how to block the plate as Benard rolled up Lo Duca’s leg and was called out by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt to end the inning and send the crowd into a frenzy.

The Giants tied it up in the eighth inning.

Galarraga led off the inning with a double down the third-base line and came home on pinch-hitter J.T. Snow’s one-out single to right field off Herges.

Beltre led off the bottom of the eighth against Giant setup man Felix Rodriguez with a single and then Sheffield bounced an infield single in front of the mound.

After Lo Duca moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, Karros’ fly scored Beltre.