Read More: Dana Eveland (P – LOS), Tim Lincecum (P – SFG), Ross Detwiler (P – WAS), Clayton Kershaw (P – LOS), Stephen Strasburg (P – WAS), San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers

After battling rain for three days in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals finally succumbed to Mother Nature on Thursday. The two teams canceled the second game of a scheduled doubleheader Thursday night, with no makeup date announced. In all likelihood, both teams will end their season with 161 games played.

Tuesday, rain threatened the return of Stephen Strasburg, though both teams got the game in, albeit with a rain delay of about a half hour in the seventh inning. Wednesday’s game was called due to rain about five and a half hours before the scheduled start, then MLB stepped in to try to get the game played, before ultimately postponing the game closer to game time.

That led to Thursday’s doubleheader. The Dodgers won the opening game 7-4, but even that featured heavy rain drops as the game wore on. Dana Eveland and Ross Detwiler were the scheduled starters for the nightcap, but it appears Eveland will be skipped in the Dodgers rotation.

The Dodgers now have to fly cross country to San Francisco to face the Giants. Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum square off in the opening game of the series on Friday night.

For more Dodgers news and information, be sure to read True Blue LA.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Philadelphia Phillies overcame a six-run deficit to edge
the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8 on Wednesday and complete a three-game sweep in
their National League series.

Ryan Howard(notes) and Hunter Pence(notes) homered for the Phillies, who won for the 12th
time in 13 games and completed a 9-1 road trip.

Down 6-0 after three innings, the Phillies scored four runs in the sixth for
a 9-7 lead. Howard’s 25th homer of the season was a tiebreaking, two-run shot
with two outs.

Philadelphia reliever Kyle Kendrick(notes) (7-5) pitched one inning for the win
after replacing starter Vance Worley(notes). Ryan Madson(notes), the sixth Phillies pitcher,
got three outs for his 22nd save.

Pirates 9, Giants 2

In San Francisco, Pittsburgh defeated San Francisco to take its first series
win in three weeks.

The Pirates took two of three from the reigning World Series champions on
the heels of a 10-game losing streak.

Andrew McCutchen(notes) hit a two-run homer and Garrett Jones(notes) added an RBI singles
to back Jeff Karstens(notes) (9-6), who struck out a career-best nine and bounced back
from giving up nine runs in his previous start.

Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez(notes) (4-7), who hasn’t won for 10 weeks, allowed
five runs in 4 1-3 innings.

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Read More: diamondbacks dodgers, arizona la, diamondbacks series, Joe Saunders (P – ARI), Micah Owings (P – ARI), Ted Lilly (P – LOS), Chad Billingsley (P – LOS), Justin Upton (RF – ARI), Josh Collmenter (P – ARI), Rubby De La Rosa (P – LOS), San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 (UPI) — Brandon Belt returned from the farm Tuesday to drive in three runs for San Francisco in the Giants’ 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Belt, a highly touted prospect who was sent down to Class-AAA Fresno earlier this season, homered in his first at-bat and then drove in two runs with a tie-breaking double in the seventh.

The win was San Francisco’s sixth of the season against their longtime rivals and seventh in their last eight games.

Madison Bumgarner (5-9) went eight innings for the win with Brian Wilson notching his 29th save. Bumgarner gave up three runs, all in the third inning, on four hits and struck out seven.

Hong-Chi Kuo took the loss in relief after allowing two runs on two hits and three walked in 2/3 of an inning.

Rafael Furcal drove in two of the three runs in the Los Angeles third, when the Dodgers took a 3-2 lead that held up until the Giants tied it with a run in the fifth.

Read More: att park, beat la, san francisco giants los angeles dodgers beat la, nl west, sellout, nl west rivalry, nl west rivals, sellout streak, att park sellout streak, Madison Bumgarner (P – SFG), Rubby De La Rosa (P – LOS), San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants, Jul 19, 2011 7:15 PM PDT

The San Francisco Giants started off their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the right foot Monday night, and now turn to Madison Bumgarner to clinch the series with their NL West rivals at AT&T Park. 

Bumgarner (4-9 3.74 ERA) had a strong outing Thursday down in San Diego against the Padres, earning a no decision in an eventual 6-2 win for the Giants. Bummy held the Pads to only one run on seven hits along with no walks in his six innings of work, the sixth time this year he’s allowed only one run in his starts. 

The Dodgers will send out their young up-an-comer Rubby De La Rosa (3-4 3.74 ERA) who is coming off of arguably his best start since joining the boys in blue. He unfortunately got a no decision during a 1-0 Dodgers win July 9 against the Padres, giving up only one hit in six innings of work along with a season-high eight punch outs for the 22 year old Dominican right-hander. 

The Giants have now sold out 54 straight games at AT&T Park dating back to last season, with all 44 of them so far this year at full capacity. Something tells me it will be full again tonight. 

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

For more on the Giants check out McCovey Chronicles. 

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.