Dodgers can’t get the right thing done in 7-2 loss to Giants

Ah, yes, best-laid plans and all. Looked swell on paper, but the execution proved somewhat lacking.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly decided to use an almost exclusive right-handed lineup against left-hander Madison Bumgarner on Saturday afternoon, sitting Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford.

And it mattered little, the Dodgers managing only two runs against Bumgarner in his 6 1/3 innings and falling 7-2 to the Giants before a crowd of 49,520 at Dodger Stadium.

Ethier did pinch-hit with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh, delivering a run-scoring single. Alas, new third base coach Lorenzo Bundy still hasn’t quite figured out the speed – or lack thereof – of catcher A.J. Ellis.

Bundy waved Ellis home on the hit, but the perfect relay nailed him at the plate. Mattingly issued his first official replay challenge on the play, and lost that too. It was just that kind of day.

The Giants scored their first five runs off Paul Maholm, making his first start of the season and only second appearance after a one-batter outing March 22 in Australia.

The soft-throwing Maholm seemed to be skirting trouble every inning, but the Dodgers trailed only 2-1 before heading into the fifth and watching it come undone.

Maholm gave up a leadoff hit to Bumgarner and Angel Pagan singled him to second. Pablo Sandoval came up with one out and there was almost a sense of inevitability at work.

He crushed a three-run homer. That ended the afternoon for Maholm, but Buster Posey greeted reliever Jose Dominguez – who had thrown two innings Friday – with a blast for a solo home run.

Maholm was charged with five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks in his 4 1/3 innings.

His early exit meant trouble for a taxed bullpen that had to take over in the third inning Friday. Mattingly had to use closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth with the Dodgers trailing by five runs. He used six relievers Saturday.

Scott Van Slyke got an outfield start and went one for two with a walk, scoring both runs, so it wasn’t like Mattingly’s lineup maneuver blew up on him. The Dodgers just couldn’t generate anything against Bumgarner. The left-hander gave up his two runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out 10.

The only left-handed position player Mattingly had in the lineup was Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford did enter the game in the nine as a defensive replacement. Yaiel Puig batted leadoff and went one for four.