Cain, Giants come home to rout by Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants have hit the proverbial rock bottom quite a few times in recent weeks.

First, they lost three of four at home to the Marlins.

Then, the Dodgers swept them to begin last week's road trip, a stretch the Giants finished 1-8.

Highlighting their road woes, they were no-hit by Reds starter Homer Bailey in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

But before the Giants were able to catch their collective breath after returning home Friday, the Dodgers' offense smothered them, and San Francisco plunged to new depths in a 10-2 loss.

"We're getting tested," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Hopefully you get stronger when you're tested. This is a strong group. When you go through a period like this, it's been awhile, but you have to remember what they've done."

The Dodgers chased Giants starter Matt Cain after 2 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the season. After allowing eight runs Friday, Cain has coughed up 60 earned runs this season. He yielded 68 in all of 2012.

Cain breezed through a seven-pitch first inning, but labored through a 32-pitch second when the right-hander struggled to find the strike zone at times. He walked two and allowed a double in the inning before Juan Uribe doubled home a pair of runs and erased the Giants' short-lived lead -- their second since Sunday.

"He had a good first inning, and then he just got out of sync," Bochy said. "He couldn't get back on track. It happens."

Cain's outing ended the next inning when Los Angeles rallied for another six runs, capped by Uribe's three-run triple to left that rolled past a diving Cole Gillespie. The former Giant became the first player to drive in five runs off Cain.

"They hit a ball we couldn't handle and that opened the floodgates," Bochy said.

Even though Cain was finished for the evening, Uribe wasn't. He clubbed a two-run home run in the top of the seventh off long reliever Mike Kickham to finish with seven RBIs, which tied a career high and marked the most in a game at AT&T Park. He fell a single short of the Dodgers' first cycle since April 13, 2009, when Orlando Hudson completed the feat against the Giants.

"We didn't fool him at all today," Cain said.

Cain became the first Giants pitcher to allow seven or more runs in a start four times in a season since Jonathan Sanchez in 2008.

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't know," said Cain on why he has had trouble with the big innings in 2013. "I got ahead of guys, but just couldn't finish them off."

San Francisco showed signs of life early in the contest by scoring in the first inning for the first time since June 18. The Giants plated the game's first run for just the second time in their past 12 games, even if it would only last until the next half-inning.

The first inning was hardly an offensive clinic, but you won't find the Giants complaining about how they score runs of late. Andres Torres reached on an infield single and Marco Scutaro walked, leading to a sign of just how far the unit has sunk: No. 3 hitter Pablo Sandoval -- who entered in a 1-for-30 funk -- dropped down a bunt that rolled foul on the third-base line. He eventually popped out, but Hunter Pence drove home the run with a fielder's choice.

For the final eight innings, the Giants' offense returned to its mostly lifeless form against Dodgers hurler Hyun-Jin Ryu and the Los Angeles bullpen. In 6 2/3 innings, Ryu dominated the Giants to a tune of two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. In four starts against the Giants in his rookie campaign, Ryu has posted a 2.81 ERA.

Torres left the game after the third inning with a right calf cramp, but it doesn't appear he will become another San Francisco player to miss substantial time this season. Bochy said after the game that Torres should be able to play Saturday.

With the loss and the D-backs' win, the Giants have lost 15 of 19 games and are now seven games under .500 and 5 1/2 games out of first place, both of which are season worsts.