The fourth day of the Dodgers’ stay in AT&T Park unfolded like two others before it. Dave Roberts dispatched members of his bullpen to deactivate the bats of the Giants, only to watch his relievers falter, again and again. The culprit in Sunday’s 9-6 loss was left-hander J.P. Howell, who yielded a go-ahead, two-run double to Joe Panik in the sixth inning.
By then, Scott Kazmir had already squandered a five-run lead after a first-inning ambush of San Francisco starter Johnny Cueto. The Giants pounded three homers off Kazmir, feasting on the unthreatening velocity of his fastball and the inexact location of his pitches.