LOS ANGELES — The San Francisco Giants must blaze through this final stretch to catch the Colorado Rockies and reach the postseason. It will require steady heat from the expected sources and a few surprising sparks, too.

The Giants got both Friday night. Pablo Sandoval emerged from his cold hibernation to hit a vital three-run home run, but the Giants needed much more to hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-4 victory at Dodger Stadium.
They needed a rare contribution on the road from Travis Ishikawa, who doubled and scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning. They needed another banner night from Eugenio Velez, who had been banished to Triple-A Fresno earlier this season.
And they needed a series of shutdown efforts from their well-stocked bullpen, which looks to be much fresher than the Dodgers’ overworked crew.
The biggest surprise contribution might have flashed on the out-of-town scoreboard when it showed the Rockies’ comeback had fallen short at Arizona. The Giants now trail the Rockies by 2 › games in the NL wild-card standings.
Surprise, surprise.
The Giants are well-armed for a final push. Their bullpen’s 3.58 ERA is the second best in the majors behind the Dodgers, and September additions such as left-hander Dan Runzler are doing more than providing depth.
Manager Bruce Bochy had to reach deep into the bullpen after Jonathan Sanchez failed to escape the fifth inning.
Velez finished a triple short of the cycle and made an immediate impact, leading off the game with a home run. The Dodgers quickly tied the score in the bottom of the first inning when Manny Ramirez’s double scored Andre Ethier.
Velez led off the third with a single, stole second base and took third on Freddy Sanchez’s single. Velez held on Randy Winn’s fielder’s choice, but Sandoval ensured the rally wouldn’t be wasted. He belted the first pitch into the right-field pavilion for his 22nd home run of the season.
Sandoval had more RBI on one swing than he had in his previous 16 games. He had slumped to a .211 average with two RBI since Aug. 30, and before the game, manager Bruce Bochy said Sandoval wasn’t fatigued as much as overeager.
“He doesn’t need to carry this ballclub,” Bochy said. “Just get back to getting a pitch to hit. He’s getting a little pull conscious. Just relax and have fun with this.”
Handed a 4-1 lead, it was time for Jonathan Sanchez to pitch to his potential — something he has done only occasionally this season. He entered with a 1.16 ERA in his previous five road starts, after going 0-8 in his first nine games away from AT&T Park.
Sanchez got hit hard. He issued leadoff walks in each of the first two innings, and a 10-pitch confrontation with Ramirez ended with a two-run home run in the fourth.
Sanchez barely escaped the fourth with a one-run lead after Casey Blake flied out to the warning track. But Rafael Furcal hit a tying home run in the fifth, ending Sanchez’s night.
The game became a battle of bullpens, and the Giants were deeper and fresher.
Ishikawa, who had a .158 average on the road, hit a one-out double in the sixth off Ramon Troncoso and scored the go-ahead run on Fred Lewis’ two-out pinch double into the left-field corner. Lewis’ drive hung in the heavy air, but Ramirez’s heavy legs couldn’t run it down.
Velez followed with a double off the wall to score Lewis and give the Giants a two-run lead. Aaron Rowand added a solo homer in the eighth off Chad Billingsley, who was working out of the bullpen while he tries to sort out mechanical issues.
It remained tense to the end, though. Sergio Romo struck out Russell Martin to strand two runners in the seventh and Jeremy Affeldt threw a curveball that froze pinch hitter Jim Thome with two aboard to end the eighth.