| SEASON | CAREER |
| W16 | 85 |
| L5 | 77 |
| G31 | 234 |
| IP214.1 | 1524.0 |
| BB50 | 520 |
| SO191 | 1270 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W10 | 105 |
| L10 | 104 |
| G30 | 298 |
| IP173.2 | 1796.0 |
| BB83 | 548 |
| SO128 | 1457 |
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter their final series of the season still searching for a wild-card spot.
That three-game series, however, comes against their most bitter rival - the NL West champion San Francisco Giants .
The Dodgers hope they can get closer to a playoff spot by matching their longest winning streak of the season against Matt Cain and the visiting Giants on Monday night.
Los Angeles (84-75) is two games behind St. Louis for the NL's second wild card. The Cardinals' final series is against Cincinnati, the NL Central winner.
"We've always played San Francisco pretty good. It's going to be a hard-fought battle," center fielder Matt Kemp said. "We win out and Cincinnati plays a good St. Louis team, hopefully they sweep them or get two from them.
"We still know there's hope. There's a plan for everything and hopefully our plan is to make it to the postseason. The way we're playing I would like our chances."
The Dodgers have lost five of their last six against the Giants (93-66), getting swept in the most recent three-game set at Chavez Ravine from Aug. 20-22.
Los Angeles, though, enters this series on a five-game winning streak after beating Colorado 7-1 on Sunday. Prior to their five-game run, the Dodgers had dropped 12 of 18, including two of three at San Francisco from Sept. 7-9.
"Obviously, we are putting some wins on the board," manager Don Mattingly told the team's official website. "We are able to score some runs and the pitching kind of continues to do what it has been doing.
"It's good. It's kind of fun playing like this. It makes you think, 'Why can't you do this over the course of a season or a month.'"
The Dodgers are in for a much more difficult challenge against Cain (16-5, 2.77 ERA) and the Giants, winners of 14 of 18 on the road.
The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last eight starts versus the Dodgers, and he's 2-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his past six outings at Los Angeles.
Cain won there again to complete the sweep Aug. 22, yielding one run in seven innings of an 8-4 victory.
The three-time All-Star was also impressive Sept. 8, when he held Los Angeles to two runs in 7 1-3 innings but didn't get a decision in the 3-2 loss.
That outing marks the only Giants' loss in Cain's last nine starts. He's 6-0 with a 2.18 ERA during that stretch, winning his last three while yielding two runs in 20 innings.
Cain will have to contend with a red-hot Kemp, who is 11 for 20 with four homers, three doubles and nine RBIs over the last five games.
Kemp, though, is 2 for his last 19 against Cain with a homer.
The Dodgers will counter with Aaron Harang (10-10, 3.68), who carried a no-hitter into the fifth Wednesday before leaving with one out in an 8-2 win at San Diego. He had been 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA in his previous five outings - all Dodgers losses.
The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in his past seven starts against the Giants, all coming with San Diego and Cincinnati.
Harang has struggled against Buster Posey , who is 3 for 6 with a home run off him.
Posey, the league leader with a .337 average, is 8 for 17 in his last five games, but was rested in Sunday's 7-5 win at San Diego. He's bidding to become the first catcher to win the league's batting crown since Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi with the Boston Braves in 1942.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Brandon Belt | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Travis Blackley | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Madison Bumgarner | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Matt Cain | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Brandon Crawford | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 | .200 | .000 |
| Clay Hensley | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Aubrey Huff | 15 | .133 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .235 | .435 | .200 |
| Guillermo Mota | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Angel Pagan | 8 | .375 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .375 | .750 | .375 |
| Brett Pill | 3 | .667 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .667 | 2.334 | 1.667 |
| Buster Posey | 6 | .500 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.500 | 1.000 |
| Hector Sanchez | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.500 | 1.000 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 20 | .200 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .238 | .438 | .200 |
| Nate Schierholtz | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .222 | .444 | .222 |
| Ryan Theriot | 46 | .283 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | .313 | .617 | .304 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 1.000 |
| Barry Zito | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Chad Billingsley | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Mark Ellis | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .300 | .522 | .222 |
| Andre Ethier | 47 | .468 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | .491 | 1.023 | .532 |
| Tony Gwynn Jr. | 16 | .188 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .188 | .376 | .188 |
| Jerry Hairston Jr. | 10 | .300 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .462 | .862 | .400 |
| Aaron Harang | 7 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Matt Kemp | 38 | .263 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | .282 | .756 | .474 |
| Adam Kennedy | 14 | .071 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .133 | .204 | .071 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 6 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ted Lilly | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| James Loney | 41 | .341 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 2 | .413 | .925 | .512 |
| Matt Treanor | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .393 | .143 |
| Juan Uribe | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
 San Francisco Giants |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 06, 2012 | Xavier Nady | Day-to-Day | Strained left hamstring |
| August 27, 2012 | Clay Hensley | 15-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| August 27, 2012 | Clay Hensley | 15-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| August 23, 2012 | Justin Christian | 15-Day DL | Sprained left wrist |
| August 23, 2012 | Justin Christian | 15-Day DL | Sprained left wrist |
| August 22, 2012 | Buster Posey | Day-to-Day | Hamstring tightness |
 Los Angeles Dodgers |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 15, 2012 | Clayton Kershaw | Day-to-Day | Torn labrum, right hip |
| September 09, 2012 | Clayton Kershaw | Day-to-Day | Sore hip |
| September 08, 2012 | Adam Kennedy | 60-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| September 08, 2012 | Matt Kemp | Day-to-Day | Left shoulder strain |
| September 08, 2012 | Adam Kennedy | Day-to-Day | Strained right groin |
| September 03, 2012 | Javy Guerra | 15-Day DL | Left oblique strain |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Since manager Don Mattingly had a few choice words for his team last week in San Diego, the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't going away quietly.
Elian Herrera singled in the go-ahead run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the NL West champion San Francisco Giants on Monday night that kept their postseason hopes alive.
"It's really exciting," Herrera said, grinning after his first career walk-off hit and fourth game-winning RBI of the season. "They are playing so good. They just have to keep playing like that."
The Dodgers' sixth consecutive victory tied a season high and kept them two games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card. Their win prevented the Cardinals from clinching a playoff berth after St. Louis beat Cincinnati 4-2. The Dodgers and Cardinals each have two games remaining.
"Hopefully the Reds can get out to a good lead and turn it over to their bullpen, which is very strong," A.J. Ellis said.
Los Angeles' winning streak began after opening a three-game series in San Diego with a 2-1 loss last Tuesday. Mattingly talked to his players in a meeting described by Ellis as "pretty tough."
"He called us on the carpet," Ellis said. "Since then, guys have looked themselves in the mirror stronger."
Mattingly's message involved having "players take more accountability," the catcher said.
"I'd like to be clinched at this point," Mattingly said. "But the guys have kept fighting. We'll take care of our business and hope for help."
Hanley Ramirez led off the ninth with a single off Santiago Casilla (7-6), advanced on a sacrifice by Shane Victorino and was held up at third on Luis Cruz 's single. Ellis was intentionally walked and Herrera lined an 0-1 pitch off the glove of second baseman Marco Scutaro for the winning run.
"That ball was smoked," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Herrera's liner. "We were in a tough situation there. Marco made a great effort."
Brandon League (2-6) got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
"The energy has really picked up this week," Dodgers starter Aaron Harang said.
The Giants tied the game 2-2 in the eighth. Angel Pagan doubled to deep right with one out, and Scutaro singled off Kenley Jansen and took second on the throw. Scutaro extended his hitting streak to a major-league and career-best 18 games.
After scoring 18 runs in a three-game sweep of Colorado, the Dodgers' offense stalled. Slugger Matt Kemp went 0 for 4 after hitting homers in his previous two games.
Los Angeles rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Andre Ethier hit his 20th homer - a two-run shot - on the first pitch from Matt Cain after Mark Ellis singled to open the inning.
San Francisco led 1-0 in the first on Buster Posey 's double to deep left field with two outs, scoring Scutaro who had walked.
Harang allowed one run and two hits in six innings, struck out three and walked two while facing the Giants for the first time this season. He finished the regular season with his lowest career ERA of 3.61.
Cain gave up two runs and four hits in five innings, struck out two and walked one. He is scheduled to start the Giants' playoff opener.
"It was a good overall season, but it's something that I don't want to be sitting on," he said. "I want to have a good bit more starts in the postseason."
NOTES: Ethier's homer was the first Cain has allowed since Sept. 2 against the Chicago Cubs , a span of 30 1-3 innings. ... Ethier has 20 or more homers for the fourth time in five seasons. ... The Giants had their three-game winning streak at Chavez Ravine snapped. ... Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez hit his career-high 47th double in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to 13 games, tops on the club this season. ... Posey was replaced by Eli Whiteside in the bottom of the eighth because of back spasms. ... Cain turned 28 on Monday.
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San Francisco Giants