MLB: San Francisco 8, LA Dodgers 4

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- RBI doubles by Fred Lewis and Eugenio Velez put San Francisco in front in the sixth inning Friday, boosting the Giants past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4.

San Francisco inched within 2 1/2 games of Colorado for the lead in the National League wild-card race. The Dodgers maintained a five-game cushion over Colorado in the NL West.

The Giants let an early 4-1 lead get away, but moved back in front in the sixth on a series of extra-base hits against reliever Ramon Troncoso (4-4).

Travis Ishikawa produced a one-out double to center and Lewis then came through with a two-out double to left that drove in Ishikawa and made it 5-4. Velez took a strike from Troncoso before hitting a double to left that brought in Lewis.

Aaron Rowand hit a solo homer in the eighth to pad the San Francisco lead.

The Giants built their early advantage thanks in part to a three-run blast from Pablo Sandoval in the third, his 22nd homer of the year.

Bob Howry (2-6) retired the last two men in the fifth to get San Francisco out of a jam and became the winning pitcher.