Dodgers Take Opening Series from Defending Champs

[JesRey]

It wasn't pretty but the Dodgers managed to defeat the Giants 3 out of 4 times this weekend.

Keys to victory:
1) Great pitching from Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda
2) Giants errors
3) Aubrey Huff defense

Game 1: Dodgers 2 Giants 1
Game 2: Dodgers 4 Giants 3
Game 3: Giants 10 Dodgers 0
Game 4: Dodgers 7 Giants 5

Dodger Negatives:

Mattingly's line-up on Saturday looked like a Spring Training line-up. Of course, the Dodgers didn't produce a single run that game.

1. Aaron Miles
2. Ivan De Jesus
3. Andre Ethier
4. Matt Kemp
5. James Loney
6. Hector Gimenez
7. Xavier Paul
8. Jamey Carroll
9. Ted Lilly

The bullpen struggled a little. Broxton gave up a run in 2 of his 3 outings but in the end got those saves. It's nice to be able to close out games early in the season. Kenley Jansen gave up 4 ERs in his 2011 debut.

The Dodgers couldn't hit with runners in scoring position. They were 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position before they scored 4 runs in the 7th inning of Sunday's finale.

Dodger Positives:
Matt Kemp is back to his 2009 form. He went 5-for-12 with 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BBs, and 4 Rs in the entire series.

The aggressiveness from the Dodgers base runners. In the first two games, I noticed it when they weren't hesitating to take that extra base. Juan Uribe was thrown out trying to go to 2nd, but I love seeing that from my team. They are trying to get runners into scoring position.

Injury updates:
Casey Blake expects to return Friday.
Jon Garland is hoping to return next Sunday. (If not, Tim Redding/John Ely will get the start)

Next Series:
4/5 @ Colorado Rockies (5:40 pm)
4/6 @ Colorado Rockies (12:10 pm)

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)


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