Manager Bruce Bochy wasn't about to point blame at one defensive hiccup. The Giants have to score.
Barry Zito's winless streak reached a career-worst 12 outings and he lost his seventh straight game because of a fielding error by Juan Uribe, and the Giants fell 1-0 to the Dodgers on Tuesday night.
"We've got to find ways to put runs on the board," Bochy said.
The Giants, coming off a 7-3 road trip in which they took three of four at San Diego, dropped 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Padres in the NL West. San Diego held off Colorado 7-6 at Coors Field. The Rockies are 3 1/2 games behind San Diego and two behind San Francisco in the division standings. The Giants remained 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL wild card after the Braves lost 6-0 to the Nationals.
"These are basically playoff games," Zito said. "They're going to be low scoring."
Clayton Kershaw (12-10) pitched a four-hitter for his first career complete game and shutout. He didn't allow a baserunner until Freddy Sanchez's sharp single to left with one out in the fourth.
Zito (8-13) lost his career-high seventh straight game, a stretch that includes a loss in relief. His nine straight lost decisions are also his most ever. The $126 million left-hander hasn't won since July 16, against the New York Mets.
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Kershaw struck out four and didn't walk a batter for the third time this year in a 111-pitch gem. He pumped his fist after striking out Aubrey Huff to end it in 2 hours, 17 minutes.
San Francisco lost 1-0 to the Dodgers for the first time in the 11-year-old history of AT&T Park -- and this was the Giants' only loss in this ballpark in which they allowed just one hit.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the sixth on a hit batter and two walks, but Zito had a chance to get out of it with two outs. Casey Blake's ball bounced off the mound -- it surely would have been a sharp single otherwise -- and straight to shortstop Uribe, who had to go several feet to his left. He had what he considered a makable play but bobbled the ball on exchange from the glove to his hand and couldn't get the force at second. Reed Johnson scored to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.
"Yeah, yeah, it's an error," Uribe said, fully agreeing with the call. "It's an easy play. It's my fault. If no error, maybe no score."
"It doesn't feel good to have the team lose my start," Zito said. "Sometimes we get tough breaks. All my stuff felt good. ... They're huge [games]. We've just got to come ready to play."
