Dodgers 2, Giants 0, end of eight

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The impressive, season-opening pitching duel between Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum ended after seven innings.

Hong-Chih Kuo relieved Kershaw to open the eighth. Kershaw’s final line: seven innings, no runs, four hits, one walk and nine strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches, 65 for strikes.

With Lincecum due to lead off the eighth, the Giants sent up Mark DeRosa to pinch hit. Lincecum’s final line: seven innings, one unearned run, five hits, three walks (one intentional) and five strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches, 58 for strikes.

Kuo immediately got into trouble by walking DeRosa. Nate Schierholtz pinch ran. Kuo got Andres Torres on a fly to right for the first out after a 12-pitch at-bat. Kuo then struck out Freddy Sanchez and induced Aubrey Huff to fly out to center.

Santiago Castilla took over for Linecum to start the bottom of the eighth. Matt Kemp led off with his third walk of the game -- that’s a career high -- and stole second on Castilla’s first pitch to James Loney. That Davey Lopes base-running instruction makes an immediate impact!

Loney then ended his frustrating night by pulling a double off the right-field fence to score Kemp. Castilla followed by striking out Juan Uribe and getting Rod Barajas and Jamey Carroll out on flies to center.

Get ready, Jonathan Broxton is warming up in the bullpen to pitch the ninth.

-- Steve Dilbeck