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Dodgers continue their amazing Western Division shuffle, sweep Giants with 8-2 victory

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The Dodgers had lost eight of their last 10. Had just suffered their most devastating loss of the season. Had benched their would-be superstar outfielder.

Disarray, turmoil, a frightening collapse?

Nothing doing, their great cure all awaited -- games within their own division. Better yet, the Giants.

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With Matt Kemp back in the lineup and relocating his RBI swing, Rafael Furcal continuing his hot hitting and Vicente Padilla adding his second consecutive strong start, the Dodgers rolled over the Giants 8-2 Wednesday afternoon.

Just like always.

With the three-game sweep, the Dodgers have now taken five of six games from the Giants this season. They are 21-5 against teams in the National League West and 22-30 against every one else.

The Dodgers played without four regulars -- Andre Ethier, Casey Blake, Blake DeWitt and the injured Manny Ramirez -- and still punished the Giants in their own ballpark.

Manager Joe Torre had not started the struggling Kemp the past three games, but Wednesday he was back in the lineup and driving in runs like it was the first two weeks of the season.

Kemp went 3-for-4 with a walk and drove in three runs. It was only the second time in the Dodgers’ past 33 games that Kemp had a multiple-RBI game. He had eight multiple-RBI games in his first 14 games of the season.

Furcal has been the Dodgers’ hottest hitter. During his current five-game hitting streak, he’s 14-for-21 with nine runs. He went 4-for-5 Wednesday.

Both Furcal and Kemp homered of Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez.

It was all but offensive overkill with the way Padilla pitched. Coming off a strong start against the Yankees, Padilla (2-2) went seven innings, holding the Giants to three hits, with five strikeouts and one walk.

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The only run he allowed was a solo homer to Aaron Rowand in the sixth.

This sudden Dodgers turnaround could continue. After an off-day Thursday, the Dodgers open a three-game series Friday in Arizona. The Dodgers are also 5-1 against the Diamondbacks this season.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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