Same Old Song?

The lineup didn't change. Manager Bruce Bochy went with his veterans again. In fact, he said he'd stick with the same guys in Wednesday's series finale. But then the Giants lost their second straight game, leaving them one loss shy of getting swept by the rival Dodgers in the season-opening series.

Bochy changed his tune, saying he expected to give second baseman Ray Durham and left fielder Dave Roberts a rest in the finale. Presumably, that means Eugenio Velez and Fred Lewis, both of whom had solid springs offensively, would get their first starts of the year.

Tuesday's effort was better than Monday's. The Giants actually led in the game 2-0 in the seventh, and that came after Matt Cain threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

But Brad Hennessey coughed up two runs in the bottom of the seventh, allowing the Dodgers to tie it, and Keiichi Yabu gave up a ninth-inning run to decide it.

For the second consecutive game, Bochy preferred the veterans, largely because of their experience against the opposing starting pitcher. On Monday, it was Brad Penny. On Tuesday, Derek Lowe. Durham and Roberts are both .300-plus hitters off Lowe.

But, apparently, things will change Wednesday, no matter what the pitcher-vs.-hitter stats say. Eugenio Velez, who yielded the starting job to Durham in the first two contests, pinch hit and singled home a seventh-inning run for the Giants Tuesday.