Melky Cabrera homered and Ryan Vogelsong tossed seven shutout innings as the host Giants blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 on Tuesday night. The Giants, who shut out the Dodgers 8-0 in the series opener Monday, have won 12 of their last 17 games against Los Angeles at AT&T Park.

Vogelsong (7-3) gave up seven hits with one walk and Santiago Casilla worked around one baserunner in the ninth for his 21st save, helping the Giants move to within one game of the first-place Dodgers.

It’s the closest the Giants have been in the standings since early April.

San Francisco scored twice in the fourth inning, when Cabrera hit a leadoff homer and Pablo Sandoval singled in a run off Clayton Kershaw (5-4). The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs on eight hits over six frames and has only one win in his last seven starts.

The Dodgers have lost seven of the first eight on their nine-game road trip, scoring just 13 runs during that stretch.
Tony Gwynn Jr. and A.J. Ellis had four of the Dodgers’ seven hits. Los Angeles’ first three batters — Dee Gordon, Elian Herrera and Andre Ethier — went a combined 1-for-11.

The Giants will go for the series sweep today at 12:45 p.m. when Tim Lincecum, who has suffered through a dreadful season, takes on Chad Billingsley.