Dee Gordon sparks Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over Giants

It’s a sports thing -- speed kills. A desired trait in most any sport. The results are often pretty obvious, but sometimes there’s a ripple effect that is not immediately apparent.

The struggling Dodgers, almost desperate for a victory, were locked in a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon when Drew Butera doubled, took third on a groundout and Dee Gordon came to the plate.

Fearing a bunt, the Giants brought in the corner infielders. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval was actually standing about five feet in on the grass in front of the cutout by the bag. Which proved too close when Gordon slapped a ball down the line past Sandoval, who did not have time to react.

The ball carried on for a double as Butera scored the go-ahead run, and the Dodgers went on to add three more to defeat the Giants, 6-2, and end a three-game losing streak before a crowd of 47,199.

Gordon also had three stolen bases Saturday, bringing his major league-leading total to 24.

After Zack Greinke struggled at the start, giving up a pair of runs in the second inning, he settled down. He ended up going seven innings, giving up six hits and three walks, with eight strikeouts. Greinke (6-1) threw 112 pitches.

The Dodgers had been going quietly against Giants starter Matt Cain before tying it with two runs in the sixth, one scoring as Adrian Gonzalez bounced into a double play, the other on a single by Matt Kemp through the hole between third and short.

Yasiel Puig doubled down the left-field line to score Gordon and make it 4-2 in the seventh. Kemp hit a solo home run in the eighth, after which Carl Crawford singled, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Butera.

Brian Wilson pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning and Chris Perez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.