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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Darren Dreifort has always been known better
for his potential than his production.
He was about as productive as possible Sunday night, and against
one of baseball's better-hitting teams.
Dreifort blanked San Francisco on two hits over seven innings,
and Shawn Green homered twice as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the
Giants 5-0 to move within four games of first-place Arizona in the
NL West.
|  | | Shawn Green, right, has three in the last four games after hitting two in the Dodgers' 5-0 win over the rival Giants. |
"A lot of guys were going back to the dugout shaking their
heads," said San Francisco's Jeff Kent, the league's RBI leader
with 88 -- none in the three games at Dodger Stadium this weekend.
Kent went hitless in three at-bats, and now has one hit in 18
career at-bats against Dreifort.
The Giants, 15-5 this month despite losing two of three to Los
Angeles during the weekend, trail the Diamondbacks by 1½ games.
"Dreifort was on," Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter said. "When
he is throwing the ball like he did tonight, he's as good as any
right-hander in the league.
"They have a great hitting team, there's no doubt about it. He
kept the ball down, was able to keep guys off-balance, got a lot of
strikeouts."
Blanked for just the second time this season, the Giants scored
four or more runs in 16 of their previous 19 games, and have
averaged more than six runs per game this season. They entered the game
with a .293 team batting average.
Dreifort (6-7), who was 2-6 with a 6.68 ERA in his previous 11
starts, walked one and struck out nine to equal a season high
before being relieved by Terry Adams to start the eighth.
Adams and Jeff Shaw, who got the final out, combined to complete
the two-hitter as the Dodgers won for the sixth time in eight
games.
Dreifort threw 90 pitches, and held the Giants hitless until
Barry Bonds lined a single to center with one out in the fourth.
The only other San Francisco hit was a double by Bobby Estalella in
the fifth.
"I just had a good rhythm back there with Chad Kreuter, he
called a great game," Dreifort said. "I actually spent a little
bit of time talking to (former Dodgers reliever) Roger McDowell the
other day. He had a great sinker. He talked to me about some
adjustments, and it helped."
Todd Hollandsworth homered on the first pitch thrown by Russ
Ortiz (5-9), and Green hit a two-run homer three batters later to
give the Dodgers a quick 3-0 lead.
Gary Sheffield doubled and scored on Adrian Beltre's two-out
single in the third to make it 4-0, and Green opened the eighth
against Scott Linebrink with his second homer and 16th of the
season.
Green, who hit a career-high 42 homers for Toronto last season,
has three in the last four games after hitting just one in his
previous 22 games.
"I'm not worried about the power numbers," he said. "I'm just
interested in driving in runs, getting hits when we need them."
About Dreifort, Green said: "He's got as nasty stuff as anyone
in the game. When he's on, he's unhittable. He's like another Kevin
Brown."
Ortiz allowed eight hits and four runs in seven innings, while
walking three and striking out seven. It was his longest outing
since April 28.
"If you take away the first inning, Russ threw the ball
great," Giants manager Dusty Baker said.
Game notes
The Dodgers activated center fielder Devon White, sidelined
since partially tearing his left rotator cuff May 3. To make room,
right-hander Al Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque of the
Pacific Coast League. ... White didn't play. Instead, it was
Hollandsworth, who has hit six of his eight homers leading off a
game. ... The Dodgers, whose 25-23 road record is the best in the
NL West, begin a 10-game road trip at Colorado on Monday night, and
play 16 of their next 22 games on the road. ... Dreifort struck out
four straight during one stretch -- Bonds to end the first, and
Kent, Ellis Burks and J.T. Snow in the second. ... Ortiz struck out
the side in the fourth, fanning Dreifort, Hollandsworth and Mark
Grudzielanek. ... Burks went hitless in four at-bats, ending his
12-game hitting streak. ... Five of the first seven Los Angeles
batters hit safely against Ortiz, but the Giants right-hander
allowed just one hit after the third.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
San Francisco Clubhouse
Los Angeles Clubhouse
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Boston 1
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 12
Kansas City 9
NY Yankees 5
Tampa Bay 1
Toronto 4
Baltimore 1
Cleveland 8
Minnesota 3
Oakland 5
Anaheim 0
Texas 3
Seattle 2
Cincinnati 5
Arizona 3
Philadelphia 4
Pittsburgh 1
Chicago Cubs 5
Milwaukee 4
San Diego 6
Colorado 4
Houston 15
St. Louis 7
Montreal 7
Florida 6
Atlanta 1
NY Mets 0
Los Angeles 5
San Francisco 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Dusty Baker addresses the rumors that he may be the Dodgers' next manager.
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