SAN FRANCISCO -- Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly keeps seeing the same scenario played out night after night. All he can do is urge his players to continue to play hard.
Hong-Chih Kuo, who has shown signs of returning to his All-Star form of a year ago, allowed Brandon Belt's tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning and the Dodgers lost 5-3 to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
"It's kind of the same story for us," Mattingly said. "The one big hit, or the one big out we need, we're not getting. We got back into the game and we had the chance to get out of the jam."
Kuo, who was on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder earlier in the season, had allowed one run over his previous six appearances. But the run ended against Belt, who was called up from Triple-A Fresno earlier in the day to give slumping first baseman Aubrey Huff a rest.
"I tried a fastball away and he got the hit. It happens," Kuo said. "I just have to get better. I felt good. I just needed to go after them."
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Mattingly also was supportive of his left-handed reliever.
"Everything from Kuo is pretty encouraging," he said. "You see the confidence growing in him. The ball is coming out of his hand pretty good."
Andres Torres, Mike Fontenot and Pablo Sandoval, the first three batters in San Francisco's lineup, had two hits apiece to help the NL West-leading Giants to their ninth win in 11 games.
Rafael Furcal singled in two runs for the Dodgers, who led early but couldn't score over the final six innings. Los Angeles has dropped six consecutive games to San Francisco for the first time since 1969.
Madison Bumgarner (5-9) struck out seven in eight innings, yielding three runs and four hits. The young left-hander retired his final 16 batters and issued no walks for the second straight start.
Matt Kemp singled with two out in the ninth but Brian Wilson got pinch-hitter Andre Ethier to fly out for his 29th save.
Belt went deep against Rubby De La Rosa leading off the second, then delivered his clutch hit in the seventh after the Dodgers elected to intentionally walk Pablo Sandoval and Cody Ross. Los Angeles also botched a pickoff attempt earlier in the inning after Kuo (0-1) threw to first when pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss broke for second. Burriss easily beat the throw to second, sliding in ahead of the tag by Furcal.
"It's not just a catch and throw thing," Mattingly said. "There's a guy with a lot of speed on third and you have to take a look. Still it's a big out we don't get."
San Francisco led 2-0 on Belt's home run and an RBI groundout by Bumgarner.
The Dodgers, who were shut out a night earlier by All-Star right-hander Ryan Vogelsong and a pair of relievers, answered with three runs in the third.
Tony Gwynn Jr. doubled in James Loney and Juan Rivera added a go-ahead two-run single. Rivera, though, was thrown out trying to scramble back to the bag after taking a wide turn at first.
San Francisco opened the fifth with three straight hits off De La Rosa. Sandoval, who has reached base in 27 consecutive games, singled in Torres with the tying run.
De La Rosa, who was clocked at 100 mph in the first inning, allowed two earned runs and nine hits over five innings.
Notes
Furcal's single snapped an 0-for-19 streak. ... Manager Bruce Bochy said the Giants will skip LHP Barry Zito's next turn in the rotation Friday. Zito's next start will be against Philadelphia on June 27 or June 28. ... Dodgers INF Marcus Thames cleared waivers and was officially released by the team. ... Dodgers INF Casey Blake (cervical strain) fielded grounders during batting practice and the team is encouraged by his progress. Blake has been on the disabled list since July 3. ... The crowd of 42,391 was a season-high at AT&T Park. The Giants have sold out every home game this year.
