Read More: att park, beat la, san francisco giants los angeles dodgers beat la, nl west, nl west rivalry, nl west rivals, Chad Billingsley (P – LOS), Ryan Vogelsong (P – SFG), San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s been 11 whole days since the San Francisco Giants’ All-Star Ryan Vogelsong has taken the mound in a game, but don’t expect the man to be rusty. Vogey is set to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley in the first game of a three game set at AT&T Park starting Monday night. 

Vogelsong (6-1 2.17 ERA) last pitched on the 8th of July, posting a no decision after seven innings of two run ball, including seven hits a season high five walks and two strikeouts. Vogey hasn’t flat out dominated any opponent he’s faced this year, but his ability to make adjustments and work with what he’s got each time on the mound is something to behold, thus making him in All-Star for the first time in his big league career at any level. 

The Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (8-7 3.87 ERA) hasn’t pitched since the 8th either but is coming off of eight scoreless innings against the Padres allowing five hits, five walks and four strikeouts for his eighth win of the season. Billingsley isn’t only a bulldog on the mound, he is at the plate as well, sporting a .267 batting average and a .333 on base percentage, making him a dangerous bat at the bottom of the batting order unlike most pitchers in the NL. 

Both teams need to win Monday night, but for opposite reasons. The Giants are looking to pad their lead in the NL West while the Dodgers are almost in baseball purgatory at 12.5 games back, in desperate need of making up ground. Unfortunately for the boys in blue San Francisco is 25-14 thus far this year against NL West opponents, losing only two series against them in 2011.

First pitch is set for 7:15 pm PT with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

For more on the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles.  

DENVER, June 11 (UPI) — Jhoulys Chacin struck out nine in eight scoreless innings Friday and the Colorado Rockies survived a ninth-inning meltdown to edge the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5.

The Rockies produced 17 hits but had to settle for a 6-0 lead heading into the ninth.

Reliever Matt Belisle began letting that lead melt away when Matt Kemp hit a one-out, solo homer. Tony Gwynn later doubled home a run, Aaron Miles singled in two more and a base hit by Rod Barajas brought in the fifth run of the inning.

Colorado closer Huston Street came in to get the final out with the potential tying run on first base.

It was Street’s 19th save and preserved the win for Chacin (7-4), who held the Dodgers to three hits.

Colorado, which won for the fourth time in five games, got two RBI each from Todd Helton and Seth Smith.

Chad Billingsley (5-5) allowed six runs on 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss. Los Angeles has dropped three in a row.

CINCINNATI, June 5 (UPI) — Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley earned the victory, homered and drove in three runs Sunday, lifting Los Angeles to a 9-6 win over Cincinnati.

Billingsley (5-4) lasted five innings, yielding four runs on eight hits while walking three and fanning three to pick up the win.

But he did more damage at the plate with a solo homer in the second inning, a bases-loaded walk in the third and a run-scoring double in the fifth for the Dodgers, who took the rubber match of a three-game set against the Reds.

Matt Kemp pounded a two-run homer among his two hits and Rod Barajas knocked in two more runs for Los Angeles.

Travis Wood (4-4) was victimized for eight runs on eight hits before getting the hook after 4 2/3 innings for Cincinnati.

Drew Stubbs hit a bases-empty homer while Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto each drove in two runs for the Reds.

  LOS ANGELES  — James Loney had three hits with a homer and
three RBIs, Andre Ethier also drove in three runs and the Los
Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 7-1 on Monday
night.

 Chad Billingsley (4-4) allowed one run and a season-high 11 hits
in seven innings, struck out eight and walked two. The right-hander
improved to 2-2 in his sixth home start after his teammates
produced the kind of run support that he had been lacking, getting
just 1.29 runs — third-lowest in the majors — in his previous home
games.

 Ty Wigginton’s homer accounted for Colorado’s run as the Rockies
dropped to 2-10 on the road in May.

 Jason Hammel (3-5) gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3
innings, struck out two and walked one in his shortest outing of
the season. The right-hander is winless since April 30 against
Pittsburgh, a span of six starts.

 The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the third. They loaded the bases
with no one out on singles by Billingsley and Rafael Furcal and an
infield hit by Jamey Carroll. Ethier drove in Billingsley and
Furcal with a single up the middle, just beyond the reach of diving
second baseman Eric Young Jr. as Hammel took off his glove and
pounded it on the mound in frustration.

 Matt Kemp followed with a sacrifice fly to center, with center
fielder Dexter Fowler and left fielder Carlos Gonzalez converging
on it. The ball touched Gonzalez’s glove first and then they
collided as the ball dropped, allowing Carroll to score. Loney
added an RBI single.

 The Rockies scored in the fourth on Wigginton’s fourth homer of
the season off the first pitch from Billingsley.

 The Dodgers extended their lead to 7-1 in the fifth. Carroll led
off with a triple and Ethier had an RBI single. Loney hit a
two-out, two-run homer off the first pitch from Hammel, who then
walked Rod Barajas before getting yanked.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More: Troy Tulowitzki (SS – COL), Jason Hammel (P – COL), Chad Billingsley (P – LOS), Carlos Gonzalez (LF – COL), Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Colorado Rockies’ inability to pick up hits when they need them most continued to haunt them in a 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Memorial Day. The Rockies did pick up 14 hits, but a Ty Wigginton home run in the fourth inning was the only damage they could manage. It was a 1-for-12 night hitting with runners in scoring position.

In the first inning, Troy Tulowitzki singled to center field with Carlos Gonzalez at second base (he stole it for his seventh of the year). Gonzalez attempted to score on the play, but Matt Kemp gunned him down at the plate. In the second inning, Todd Helton and Seth Smith hit back-to-back singles to start things, but then they went nowhere after three consecutive swinging strikeouts ended the inning.

Things looked up in the seventh for the Rockies–despite a six-run deficit–when Troy Tulowitzki was at the plate with one out and the bases loaded. Chris Nelson, recently called up, had reached with a single, but was out on an Eric Young Jr. fielder’s choice. Dexter Fowler singled to move Young to second and then Carlos Gonzalez walked to load the bases. Tulowitzki started his at-bat with a strike taken and then fouled a pitch. After drawing two balls, Tulowitzki hit into an inning-ending double play.

Jason Hammel took the hook after he allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings. The bullpen of Matt Daley, Greg Reynolds and Matt Belisle held the Dodgers to one hit and zero runs over the remaining 3.1 innings. Chad Billingsley, on the other hand, allowed two runs on 11 hits and struck out eight Rockies.

The Rockies (25-28, 12-13 road) continue this series Tuesday night at 8:10 p.m. MT.

For more on the Rockies, Purple Row is your destination. For the Dodgers, visit True Blue LA and SB Nation Los Angeles.