Los Angeles – Attorneys for Frank McCourt and the Los Angeles Dodgers have filed a civil action against the two men charged in the beating of Bryan Stow as part of their strategy in defending a lawsuit by the Giants fan, who was almost killed after the home team’s opening day win.

The team filed a cross-complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday against Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30. Both are accused of attacking Stow as he and his friends left Dodger Stadium on March 31.

The cross-complaint states that although the Dodgers and McCourt believe they are not liable for Stow’s injuries, in the event a jury finds otherwise, they should be reimbursed by Sanchez and Norwood for a portion of any damages they are ordered to pay.

However, team lawyers stated in previous papers that they expect Sanchez and Norwood will refuse to testify in depositions to avoid incriminating themselves in the criminal case.

“The (team’s) inability to conduct meaningful (inquiries) of those individuals’ acts and conduct will hamper the defendants’ ability to prepare and present a defense in this case,” the earlier Dodgers’ court papers stated.

Stow and his children, Tyler and Tabitha Stow, filed the suit against McCourt and 13 team entities on May 24. Among the claims are assault, battery, negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring, assault and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. They chose not to name Sanchez and Norwood as defendants.

On Sept. 30, Judge Abraham Khan granted a defense motion dismissing the children as plaintiffs.

Stow was beaten in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium shortly after the game. Police said he was attacked because he was wearing Giants gear.

The 2011 season hasn’t provided too many positive memories for Los Angeles Dodgers fans, but that doesn’t mean the ones it has provided can’t be extremely satisfying.

Take the incredible success of Clayton Kershaw(notes) for example. Kershaw is currently enjoying the best season by a Dodgers starter in over 20 years. He further cemented that on Tuesday night, tossing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball while leading Los Angeles to a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. With the win, Kershaw became the team’s first 20-game winner since Ramon Martinez(notes) in 1990.

I would imagine that’s very satisfying to witness. But going beyond that, it’s the fact Kershaw has achieved a good deal of that success against their arch-rivals that likely has Dodgers fans doing cartwheels — or at least staying off the ledge — at the tail end of this lost season.

How good has Kershaw been against the defending World Series champs? With the victory Tuesday night, the 23-year-old lefty improves to 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA in five starts this season. Not even Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale or Fernando Valenzuela can lay claim to a 5-0 record over the Giants in a given year. In fact, you have to go all the way back to Vic Lombardi — who would have turned 89 on Tuesday — in 1946 to find the last time it happened.

On top of that, in four head-to-head matchups with two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum(notes), Kershaw has gone 4-0 and only allowed one earned run in 30 1/3 innings.

Fully acknowledging the shortcomings of the San Francisco Giants offense, those are still pretty crazy ridiculous numbers. And assuming the Giants fail to make the postseason, they can look back at their inability to solve Kershaw as one of the main reasons why.

Knowing this, Los Angeles reporters decided to ask Kershaw for his thoughts on contributing to San Francisco’s current predicament, to which he deadpanned a very short response.

“It’s a shame.”

That’s enough to make a Giants fans’ stomach churn.

As is the following question: With 20 wins under his belt, and remarkable success against the defending world champions on his résumé, has Clayton Kershaw done enough to unseat Roy Halladay(notes) and hold off the competition from Cliff Lee(notes) and Ian Kennedy(notes) in the National League Cy Young race?

Personally, Kershaw had my vote at the beginning of the season, and he has my vote now.

There’s no denying Kershaw put an impressive stamp on his candidacy Tuesday night with an outing so dominant, center fielder Matt Kemp(notes) had time to debate the Cy Young with himself while standing around in the outfield.

“If this boy doesn’t win the Cy Young, something’s definitely wrong,” Kemp recalled saying to himself.

Honestly, I couldn’t think of a more ringing endorsement than that.

Related: Clayton Kershaw, Ian Kennedy, Tim Lincecum, Matt Kemp, Cliff Lee, Ramon Martinez, Roy Halladay, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants

SAN FRANCISCO  — Madison Bumgarner won his fourth straight start, Pablo Sandoval doubled home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Bumgarner (11-12) struck out eight and allowed three hits in five innings, matching the longest winning streak of his career and improving to 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA since June 26.

It’s probably too little too late for the defending World Series champions, who snapped a three-game losing streak and trail NL West-leading Arizona by 8 1-2 games. When San Francisco scored two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth, it marked the first time since July 3 the Giants scored multiple runs in consecutive innings.

Slumping Aubrey Huff had two hits and a bases-loaded walk in his first start since Monday. Sandoval finished with a career-high three doubles, tying a Giants regular season record at AT&T Park.

Tony Gwynn Jr. doubled in the Dodgers’ run but struck out with the potential tying run at second base in the sixth. Los Angeles lost for only the third time in 13 games.

San Francisco had gone 18 consecutive scoreless innings until breaking through against Los Angeles starter Hiroki Kuroda, who had not lost in four previous appearances at the Giants.

Sandoval drove in Jeff Keppinger for a 2-1 lead in the fifth and Huff followed with an RBI single on an 0-2 pitch. In a 5-for-36 (.139) slump coming in, Huff also walked with the bases loaded against Scott Elbert during a five-run sixth.

In the second, Huff doubled leading off after initially thinking he had a home run. The ball hit the top of the fence and bounced back onto the field, but second base umpire John Hirschbeck ruled the ball was still in play. Umpires upheld the call following a video review.

It was reminiscent of San Francisco’s win over Texas in Game 2 of the World Series last year when the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler hit a ball to almost the same spot as Huff did. Kinsler was also given a double on the play.

Three batters later, Eli Whiteside singled in Huff with San Francisco’s first run.

Kuroda (11-16) allowed three runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing since getting only 12 outs against San Diego on Aug. 2 last year.

Cody Ross hit a bases-loaded double and Mark De Rosa added a pinch two-run single in the sixth.

Los Angeles scored its lone run in the second and had a chance for more with the bases loaded before Bumgarner worked his way out of it. He got Kuroda to ground into a force play at home then retired Dee Gordon on a comebacker.

The Dodgers managed only four runners the rest of the way and ended their trip 7-3.

NOTES: A moment of silence was held before the game to commemorate the victims of 9-11. There was no ceremonial first pitch; instead, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy walked out to the field alone and left a ball on the pitching mound. … The previous San Francisco player to have three doubles in one home game was Nate Schierholtz on Sept. 24, 2008. … The Giants activated LHP Barry Zito from the 15-day DL. Bochy plans to use Zito as a spot-starter and out of the bullpen. … Eric Surkamp (1-0) pitches for San Francisco in the series opener against San Diego on Monday. The rookie lefty beat the Padres on Sept. 6 for his only career win in the majors. … Dodgers LHP Ted Lilly (9-13), who tied his season high of nine strikeouts in his previous start, will pitch for Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game set with Arizona.

By Eric Stephen

– Managing Editor

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Sep 11, 2011 – The Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon seek their third five-game winning streak of the last three weeks, and a weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Hiroki Kuroda gets the start for the Dodgers, looking to improve on his last start, when he allowed four home runs in Washington.

Kuroda gave up three home runs in the first inning to the Nationals on Labor Day, the first Dodgers starter to allow three first inning home runs since Fernando Valenzuela in 1985. It was even more rare for Kuroda, who had not allowed more than two home runs in any of his previous 109 major league starts.

Madison Bumgarner gets the start for the Giants, looking for his third straight double-digit strikeout game. He struck out 13 Padres in his last start and 11 Cubs on August 31. Since the beginning of August, Bumgarner has a 2.28 ERA in seven starts, with 55 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Read More: Hiroki Kuroda (P – LOS), San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 (UPI) — Dana Eveland and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout Saturday and the Los Angeles Dodgers stifled San Francisco 3-0.

Eveland (2-0), promoted from Class AAA Albuquerque this month, baffled the Giants on three hits and two walks over seven frames. He fanned three while tossing 63 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra each finished with one scoreless frame to complete the whitewash and deliver another blow to San Francisco, which fell 9 1/2 games behind first-place Arizona in the National League West.

Juan Rivera went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, and James Loney added two hits and a run scored for Los Angeles.

Ryan Vogelsong (10-7) went eight innings but was saddled with the loss for San Francisco after yielding three runs on nine hits and a walk. He struck out six.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Bruce Bochy has walked into the manager’s office every
day this September expecting his San Francisco Giants to show some life. That
day has yet to come.

It likely won’t this year.

After the latest scoreless performance to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
knocked the Giants 9 1/2 games behind Arizona in the NL West, Bochy finally vented
about his team’s horrendous offense and all but admitted the playoff race is
over.

“We’re bad right now with the bats,” he said. “We’re awful. There’s no
other way to say it.”

Dana Eveland(notes) combined with two relievers to throw a six-hitter, and the
Dodgers delivered another blow to the Giants’ dismal playoff hopes with a 3-0
victory over the defending World Series champions on Saturday night.

The pitching performance extended San Francisco’s scoreless streak to 17
innings. The Giants have only had two runners reach third base in that span, and
about all they can do now is play out the remainder of the season.

“You’re obligated to go out there and give it your best,” Bochy said.
“We’re fortunate to be here every game and have it sold out and have these
great fans here. That’s what makes it so much tougher—at home is where we’re
so bad.”

Juan Rivera(notes) had three singles and drove in a run off Ryan Vogelsong(notes) (10-7)
to lift the Dodgers back to .500 with their 15th win in 18 games. Vogelsong gave
up three runs in eight innings—including one on a balk—for his fifth
straight loss.

For the first time this September, San Francisco started to show signs that
it’s already moving ahead to next year.

Bochy filled out his lineup with rookies and up-and-comers: Hector Sanchez(notes)
made his first start at catcher, Brett Pill(notes) was at first, Brandon Belt(notes) played
left field and Justin Christian(notes) was out in center.

The revamped lineup did nothing to ignite San Francisco’s offense.

James Loney(notes) hit a one-out triple off Vogelsong in the second inning, and
scored on Jerry Sands’(notes) groundout to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Matt Kemp(notes) lined a triple to right leading off the fourth. Rivera followed
with an RBI single, the first of three straight infield hits for Los Angeles.

As if that wasn’t enough to frustrate Vogelsong, he balked in a run with the
bases loaded to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. Vogelsong argued unsuccessfully
with second base umpire Laz Diaz and paced the infield furiously over the call.

“Even though they weren’t hitting the balls hard, they were finding holes.
It happens,” Vogelsong said.

The right-hander rallied to get three straight outs and limit the damage. Of
course, with San Francisco’s scoring woes, that was more enough for the Dodgers.

The closest the Giants came to scoring was a dismal two-out rally in the
fourth, when Pablo Sandoval(notes) singled and Brett Pill doubled down the line in
left. With a chance to knock home two runs, Brandon Belt lined out to third.

“His two outings have been really good,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly
said of Eveland. “He throws strikes and gets ahead of hitters. If he keeps
pitching like that, it’s tough to keep a guy out.”

Things would only get worse for the home team.

Carlos Beltran(notes) caught Jerry Sands’ flyout in right field for the second out
of the eighth and started jogging toward the dugout, apparently thinking it was
the final out of the inning. Tony Gwynn Jr.(notes) easily went from second to third,
and Giants fans booed Beltran—the prize acquisition at the trade deadline from
the New York Mets—and several others left their seats.

Eveland was lifted for Jansen after he walked Hector Sanchez to open the
bottom of the eighth. After pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa(notes) singled to put runners on
first and third with no outs, the Giants again went out with a whimper.

Pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff(notes) and Jeff Keppinger(notes) struck out swinging, and Beltran
groundout out to second to end the inning. All fans could do was boo.

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey(notes) threw a light toss for the first time since he
tore three ligaments in his left ankle and fractured a bone in his leg in a
home-plate collision with Florida’s Scott Cousins(notes) on May 25. He is on schedule
to be ready by spring training. … Giants LHP Barry Zito(notes) (ankle) will take
fielding practice Sunday and is expected to be activated before the game. …
The Dodgers will send RHP Hiroki Kuroda(notes) (11-15) to the mound in the series
finale Sunday against Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner(notes) (10-12).