LOS ANGELES – Ray Durham succeeded where Barry Bonds failed.

Durham doubled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning after Bonds hit into a double play with runners on the corners, and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Thursday night for their season-best eighth consecutive victory.

The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their fourth in a row and got swept for the first time while losing their first series at home this season.

Kevin Correia (1-1) got the victory, allowing one hit in 1 1-3 innings with one strikeout. Armando Benitez pitched the ninth for his seventh save in as many chances.

Joe Beimel (1-1) took the loss, giving up two runs and three hits in 1 2-3 innings.

Beimel got out of a jam after putting runners on first and third in the eighth when Bonds hit into a double-play grounder to third baseman Wilson Betemit that failed to score Omar Vizquel from third. But Durham followed by doubling to center field, scoring Vizquel. Bengie Molina's RBI single off Jonathan Broxton made it 5-3.

Bonds went 1-for-3 with an intentional walk for the Giants, who have won eight straight for the first time since taking 10 in a row in May 2004.

Durham went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Molina went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Andre Ethier cut the Giants' lead to 5-4 with a two-out homer on a 3-2 pitch from Brad Hennessey in the eighth.

The Los Angeles Dodgers scored three runs over the first two innings on Nomar Garciaparra's RBI single, Ethier's RBI double and Rafael Furcal's RBI single – all to left field off Russ Ortiz.

Dave Roberts put the Giants on the board in the third with an RBI single off Brad Penny, who was involved in his second straight no-decision.

San Francisco tied the game at 3 in the sixth on RBI singles by Durham and Molina. Durham's single went off the glove of leaping second baseman Jeff Kent.

Notes: The Giants earned their fourth consecutive series sweep and their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since April 2-4, 2002. ... Garciaparra avoided the bobblehead jinx with a hit on a night when fans received his likeness, joining Cesar Izturis who also had a hit on his night in 2005. Kent, Fred McGriff, Shawn Green and Paul Lo Duca were a combined 0-for-15 when the Los Angeles Dodgers gave away their bobbleheads.

 

 

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