Giants still looking for OF upgrades

Fresh off acquiring Andrew McCutchen from the Pirates on Monday, the Giants are trying to add even more talent to their outfield, with the former National League Most Valuable Player being told that he'll play a corner spot with the team this season, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

San Francisco's main desire is to upgrade defensively in center field, and sources tell ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that the Giants rank Jarrod Dyson as their most coveted option behind Lorenzo Cain. The club is also interested in Jon Jay and Cameron Maybin, according to Crasnick, but values Dyson's "speed, defensive metrics and stolen-base ability."

The Giants, after bringing in McCutchen via a trade with the Pirates, do not have the space under the luxury-tax threshold to sign Cain at his projected salary, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. Morosi reported that the club is looking to add a "defense-first player" in center field "who will be less expensive than Cain."

Dyson, Jay and Maybin will certainly all be less expensive than the former Royals center fielder, and Dyson led that group with seven Outs Above Average last season, according to Statcast™. Maybin was at plus-2 two while Jay was minus-3.

Dyson, 33, has stolen at least 25 bases in each of the past six seasons and would be a big boost to a Giants club that ranked 20th in the Majors with 76 steals last year. Jay has 51 steals in eight Major League seasons, but his .738 career on-base-plus-slugging percentage bests Dyson's .677 total.

Maybin owns a career .693 OPS and stole 33 bases during his time split between the Astros and Angels last season.

Bumgarner helps pitch Giants to 2-1 win over Dodgers

(TSX / STATS) -- LOS ANGELES -- Madison Bumgarner allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings to end his four-game losing streak and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday night.

Bumgarner (4-9) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked one. The Giants won for just the fourth time in his 14 starts this season.

The Dodgers had clinched their fifth straight National League West title on Friday night and rested several regulars.

Bumgarner blanked the Dodgers for seven innings on July 30, his only other appearance against them this season. He shut them out for seven more on Saturday before Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes led off the eighth with a home run to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Charlie Culberson doubled with one out in the inning and moved to third on a fly ball to right by pinch-hitter Cody Bellinger, the 99th pitch from Bumgarner. Giants manager Bruce Bochy then brought in right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland and he got Chris Taylor to fly out to the warning track in right.

Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

The Dodgers hadn't put a runner in scoring position against Bumgarner until left fielder Enrique Hernandez doubled over the head of Denard Span in center with one out in the seventh. Hernandez, who came in 13-for-27 in his career against Bumgarner with four doubles and three home runs, was stranded at third.

Gorkys Hernandez and Span had three hits apiece. Hernandez scored both runs and Span and Buster Posey had the RBIs.

Hernandez hit the first pitch of the game from Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu into the left-field corner for his 18th double of the year. Joe Panik sacrificed Hernandez to third and Buster Posey lined a two-out RBI single to center for a 1-0 lead.

Ryu stranded two runners in the second but then was hit in the left hand by a hard comebacker by Panik to lead off the third and was removed from the game.

Ross Stripling entered and pitched the remainder of the third inning and Brandon McCarthy, another former starter who came off his third stint on the DL on Friday, pitched a scoreless fourth in his first appearance since July 20.

The Giants tagged McCarthy for a run in the fifth, however.

Hernandez singled to center, stole second and advanced to third on Panik's grounder to second. Span then lined a single up the middle and Hernandez scored his second run of the game for a 2-0 lead.

Bumgarner, who had lost his past four starts for the first time in his career, walked Taylor to start the first and gave up a single to Kyle Farmer to lead off the third, but both were erased by 4-6-3 double plays. He retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings.

NOTES: Dodgers 3B Justin Turner was out of the lineup for a third straight game after suffering a thumb contusion when he was hit by a pitch on Thursday and then feeling the effects of a stomach virus the past two days. ... Dodgers 1B Kyle Farmer made his first major league start and was 1-for-3 against Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner. Farmer came in 4-for-12 (.333) in 12 games this season. His lone extra-base hit was a walk-off two-run double in the 11th inning against the Giants in his first major league at-bat on July 30, a game in which Bumgarner threw seven shutout innings. ... Bumgarner had been supported by 2.8 runs per game this season coming into Saturday, the second fewest of any major league pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched.

Panik helps Giants finally win at Coors Field

(TSX / STATS) -- DENVER -- His bat was feeling a little heavy, so Joe Panik decided to choke up when the San Francisco Giants began a series at Coors Field on Monday.

The second baseman was looking for a pick-me-up in September. He ended up making franchise history Wednesday night for the Giants, who finally won a game at Coors Field when they walloped the Colorado Rockies 11-3.

Panik tied a career high with five hits Wednesday and went 12-for-15 to set a franchise record for the most hits in a three-game series. He surpassed Mike Benjamin, who had 11 hits in a 1995 series at the Chicago Cubs, and Hall of Famers Freddie Lindstrom, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1928, and Bill Terry, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1929.

"I was lucky and fortunate to have played (with) and managed Tony Gwynn," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had some great series, but I don't recall him having a series like this. That's pretty amazing what Joe did."

Panik is the fourth major-leaguer to have 12 hits in a three-game series -- the first since Jerry Remy for the Boston Red Sox in 1981. No major league player has ever had 13 hits in a three-game series.

"Everything seems to go slow and it's allowing me to see the ball real well," Panik said. "It's a good feeling to be in. Every time up there, I feel I can be patient and take a strike, be aggressive and whack at the first pitch. I feel like I'm in control of the at-bat right now."

San Francisco's Gorkys Hernandez had three RBIs, and Panik drove in two runs. Austin Slater singled home two runs in the first, and Nick Hundley hit a 450-foot, two-run homer in the eighth.

It took exactly one year, but the Giants avoided more embarrassment in what has been a forgettable season. The Giants were 0-9 at Coors Field this season and had dropped 10 straight games in Denver since last winning there Sept. 6, 2016.

"It's good not to get skunked here," Bochy said. "I guess if you're going to win one, the last one is the way to go."

The Rockies, who concluded a 3-6 homestand, are two games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and 2 1/2 games up on the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the second National League wild card.

The Rockies begin a challenging eight-game trip Thursday against the top teams in the NL West -- four games at Dodger Stadium and four at Arizona.

"It's important for us to play the way we have the whole year," Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "Not go out and be a hero, go out and play like a team."

Johnny Cueto (7-7) limited the Rockies to five hits and one run in five innings but needed 98 pitches to get that far. Cueto is 9-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rockies and 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field.

He was making his second start after missing 45 games with blister issues and a flexor tendon strain.

"He worked hard," Bochy said. "He logged some pitches. We got him where we thought we'd get him, around 90 (pitches) or in that area. It happened to be five innings. To be honest, I was hoping it might be six or seven. But good job, good command. Held them to one run. That's a good job in this ballpark."

Charlie Blackmon hit his 34th homer, in the seventh, after Giants pinch hitter Mac Williamson hit a homer in the top of the inning off Jeff Hoffman, who gave up two runs in the sixth on Panik's double and Brandon Crawford's bloop single.

Hoffman relieved starter Kyle Freeland (11-10), who allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Freeland walked two and struck out four. It was the shortest start of his career, excluding Aug. 4 when a first-inning injury forced him out of the game.

But the story was Panik, who went 5-for-6. He raised his average 18 points in the series to .285.

"At this time of the year, you're always going up two (points), down two," Panik said. "To make that type of move, it's pretty incredible."

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey, who was hit on the fourth finger of his right hand with a foul tip Tuesday, didn't play. The Giants hope he can play first base or designated hitter on Friday at the Chicago White Sox. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu extended his season-high hitting streak to 14 games. ... 3B Pablo Sandoval took a third strike pinch-hitting in the sixth and is 0-for-38, the longest hitless streak by a Giants position player since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. ... Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez batted third for the first time since June 11. He went 2-for-2 with a walk. ... RHP Jeff Hoffman will likely make his first start for the Rockies since Aug. 17 on Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers when the fifth starter's turn arises. He gave up three runs in two innings Wednesday. ... Rockies OF Raimel Tapia will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.

Parker's two-run double lifts Giants past Brewers

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Three outs from a stinging series loss to the last-place San Francisco Giants, lightning struck the playoff-contending Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon.

It hit them in the foot, adding to the pain.

Jarrett Parker's check-swing, two-run double broke a seventh-inning tie and sent the Giants to a 4-2 victory and series win over the Brewers, who might have lost slugger Travis Shaw in the process.

The star third baseman fouled a ball off his right foot in the ninth inning and, after drawing a walk, left the field with a serious limp moments later.

"We don't know," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of the extent of the injury. "He'll get X-rays."

Left-hander Matt Moore pitched six strong innings before handing off the ball to the bullpen, helping the Giants win for a second time in the three-game series.

"I thought everybody did well," Moore said of the series win. "They have a good chance to get into the postseason. So for us to come in here and kind of ruin someone's day, it was something for us moving forward that we can build on as a club."

The loss dropped Milwaukee to 3-3 on its nine-game Western swing.

"We just didn't do enough today," Counsell lamented. "They pitched well and their bullpen did a nice job. We just couldn't push the runners across."

Pinch-hitter Denard Span's one-out double down the right field line against the Brewers' third pitcher, right-hander Jacob Barnes (3-4), got the decisive seventh inning rolling for the Giants.

After Gorkys Hernandez was hit by a pitch, Barnes struck out Kelby Tomlinson for the second out before jamming Parker with a fastball that the lefty hitter blooped just inside third base and into the Giants' bullpen, easily scoring Span and Hernandez with the difference-making runs.

"You hear good things happen to you when you put the ball in play, and he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy noted. "I don't think that was the swing he was looking for on the first pitch, but that's a break for us. We'll take it."

Barnes came within one strike of retiring Hernandez before grazing his jersey with a fastball.

"Had a little bad luck there," Counsell said of Parker's hit. "The hit by pitch ended up hurting us."

Right-handers Hunter Strickland (3-3), Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson took it from there, limiting the Brewers to just one run on one hit over three innings to cap a 4-3 season-series win that was the Giants' fourth in a row against Milwaukee.

Aided by an insurance run produced by a Carlos Moncrief sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning, Dyson allowed a solo home run to pinch-hitter Stephen Vogt in the ninth before recording his 12th save.

Vogt's homer was his fifth of the season and the first of his career as a pinch hitter.

Hernandez had two doubles for the Giants, who totaled five doubles among their nine hits.

Tomlinson and Brandon Crawford also had two hits for San Francisco.

Domingo Santana collected a single and a double for the Brewers, who were seeking their first series win in San Francisco since 2010.

Both starting pitchers left with the game tied 1-1 after strong efforts that began with first-inning runs.

Moore allowed five hits, including doubles by Santana and Shaw that gave the Brewers a quick 1-0 advantage.

"It's about how you finish in this game," Bochy said of Moore's season, which began 3-12 before he's turned things around with three straight solid efforts. "We're all going to have our struggles, our hiccups, our bumps in the road, whatever. What's important is how you deal with it."

Moore walked two and struck out six.

The Giants got even against Brewers right-hander Matt Garza after loading the bases against him in the last of the first on a double by Hernandez, a single by Tomlinson and a walk to Parker.

Buster Posey tied the game with a sacrifice fly, after which Garza escaped further damage.

Garza allowed five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out six.

"I was going into the game thinking: If Matt gives us 15 outs, we're in good shape," Counsell noted. "One run in five innings. I'll take that every single time. He did exactly what we asked him to do."

The Giants out-hit the Brewers 9-6.

NOTES: There were just 15 total runs scored in the series, the fewest in any Giants three-game series this season. Their previous low had been 16 against Washington on May 29-31. ... The Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays totaled just eight runs in a three-game series earlier this month. ... Giants RHP Sam Dyson's 12 saves since July 1 are tied for the most in the National League. ... Giants RF Hunter Pence (sore left hamstring) was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight day. ... Before the game, the Brewers claimed RHP Aaron Brooks off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. He was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs. RHP Paolo Espino was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Brooks. ... Both teams are off Thursday before starting road series on Friday, the Brewers in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, and the Giants in Arizona to duel the Diamondbacks.

Perez, Brewers cut down Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- In an epic duel between a catcher's speed and an outfielder's arm, an infielder prevailed Tuesday night.

Converted third baseman Hernan Perez, a late-game defensive replacement, threw out Nick Hundley at the plate from right field to preserve a one-run lead in the eighth inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers hold on for a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Ryan Braun and Travis Shaw drove in runs in a two-run seventh for the Brewers, who rallied from a 3-2 deficit to win for the third time in five games on their nine-game trip.

"We're at a point in the season where we're going to say every win is big," said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose club kept pace with the first-place Chicago Cubs atop the National League Central, remaining 2 1/2 games back. "We're chasing. Every win is important."

Brandon Crawford had a two-run homer for the Giants, who had won five straight at home over the Brewers.

"Big home run. We're down a run and he hits a home run that put us ahead," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's been getting some big hits for us lately. I'm glad to see him getting back on track."

After the Giants lost their one-run lead in the seventh inning, they nearly drew even in the eighth against right-hander Anthony Swarzak.

Pinch-hitting for Ryder Jones, Hundley singled with one out and advanced into scoring position with two outs when Swarzak walked pinch hitter Hunter Pence.

Denard Span, who twice earlier in the game failed with the bases loaded, grounded a single to right field, but Perez's accurate throw to the plate easily beat Hundley for the inning-ending out.

"I knew it was Hundley at second base. He's not very fast," Perez said of the thought process that led to his first assist as a right fielder this season. "It was a slow hit, so I tried to get it as quickly as I could and make a good throw."

Perez, who has played 240 of his 392 career games at second or third base, was mobbed by teammates when he reached the dugout steps a few seconds later.

"It's the same (as hitting a game-winning home run) because you are the hero," he said. "You are the guy who did the play that won the game. That's a great feeling."

Bochy was surprised with the outcome of the game's most critical play.

"The runners get a good jump (with two strikes, and) it wasn't hit real hard," he said. "You give their right fielder credit. He came in, got rid of it. It was kind of an awkward throw; it looked like it bounced a couple of times, but right on the money. They executed."

Closer Corey Knebel pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27th save, fanning Buster Posey for his franchise-record 100th relief strikeout of the season to end it.

Brewers catcher Manny Pina threw out Kelby Tomlinson trying to steal after the Giants second baseman opened the ninth with a single. It was Pina's second gun-down of the night.

"Good defense in this place is important," Counsell said. "We played a good defensive game tonight, that's for sure."

The Brewers trailed 3-2 after Crawford's homer, his 11th of the season, before Eric Thames drew a one-out walk from Giants right-hander Albert Suarez (0-3) to open the seventh inning.

Neil Walker followed with a double, after which Thames scored from third on Braun's game-tying sacrifice fly.

Shaw then grounded a double into the right field corner, scoring Walker with the go-ahead run.

Right-hander Jeremy Jeffress (1-0), who pitched a scoreless sixth inning, got the win.

Walker and Eric Sogard had two hits apiece for the Brewers (66-61), who are three games behind the Colorado Rockies (68-57) in the race for the second NL wild card.

The win was the 200th of Counsell's managerial career.

Pablo Sandoval and Gorkys Hernandez had two hits each for the Giants, who fell to 3-3 on their seven-game homestand.

Neither starting pitcher got a decision.

Seeking his ninth win of the year, Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija left with a 3-2 lead after six innings, having allowed just two runs (one earned) and six hits.

Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson failed in his fourth straight try to pick up a 10th victory. He gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings.

Both starting pitchers failed to help themselves with the bat, short-circuiting potential big innings early.

The Brewers scored single runs in the second and fourth innings to take 1-0 and 2-1 leads. But in both cases, the uprising ended when Nelson made an out (a strikeout and a groundout) with a runner in scoring position.

The Giants countered Milwaukee's second-inning run with one of their own on an infield single by Hernandez. Nelson then struck out Samardzija with one out and the bases loaded before getting Span to ground out to prevent further scoring.

The same inning-ending scenario played out two innings later when Samardzija again struck out with the bases loaded and one out. Span then lined out as Nelson retained his 2-1 lead.

NOTES: The Brewers won for just the 11th time this season when not hitting a home run in the game. ... Giants RF Hunter Pence (tight left hamstring) was scratched from the starting lineup shortly before first pitch. He was replaced in right field by Gorkys Hernandez. Pence pinch-hit in the eighth inning and drew a walk before leaving for a pinch runner. ... Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (strained flexor tendon) pitched three shutout innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento against Albuquerque. He allowed three hits and struck out one while throwing 47 pitches. ... Giants 2B Joe Panik (concussion) played the first five innings in the same game at Sacramento, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He is scheduled to play seven innings for Class A San Jose on Wednesday night.

Giants build big early lead in rout of Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Giants left-hander Matt Moore claimed he experienced some bad luck Friday night.

It was the kind of good fortune most pitchers would take any night.

Moore lost a potential shutout in the eighth inning on a near double play and a bloop hit, but had done plenty enough before that to assure the Giants a 10-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford hit early home runs, and Jarrett Parker highlighted a three-run first inning with a two-RBI double, sending the Giants to their second straight win over the Phillies in the four-game series.

"We just want to play better ball," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team improved to 16-18 since the All-Star break. "We owe it to the ownership and to the fans."

Freddy Galvis had a two-run single for the Phillies, who lost their sixth in a row.

"We got four hits," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin noted. "The bats just ain't there right now."

Staked to a 6-0 lead by the end of the third, Moore coasted through seven innings, allowing only one hit.

He gave up a leadoff single to Jorge Alfaro and a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Pedro Florimon in the eighth before turning the ball over to the Giants bullpen.

"I thought I did," Moore responded when asked if he felt he had enough to finish what would have been a second career shutout. "It was one of those nights when I felt I could do it myself."

Moore was denied a 13th career combined shutout when right-hander Cory Gearrin surrendered consecutive hits, the second of which was Galvis' bases-loaded single that closed the gap to 6-2.

That was the unlucky part, Moore insisted. The first hit off Gearrin -- a hard grounder by Cesar Hernandez -- barely missed going right at Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson for a sure inning-ending, shutout-saving double play.

Galvis' hit was a bloop that Giants left fielder Parker came within inches of catching with a dive near the left field line.

"He (Gearrin) was a bit unlucky," observed Moore, assuring there were no hard feelings. "The outfield and infield had been running all over the place all night. A couple of balls were bound to fall in."

Left-hander Josh Osich and righty Hunter Strickland got out of the inning without further damage.

Right-hander Kyle Crick pitched the ninth after San Francisco had tacked on four runs in the bottom of the eighth to increase their advantage to 10-2.

In winning for the first time since June 20, Moore (4-12) was charged with two runs on two hits. He walked four and struck out four.

"He got into a good rhythm tonight," Bochy said of Moore, whose home win was his first since May 13 against the Cincinnati Reds. "It looked like he was playing catch with (catcher) Buster (Posey)."

Pence, whose homer was his 11th of the season, and Crawford (his 10th) had two hits apiece for the Giants, who improved to 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Phillies.

Denard Span had three hits and Pablo Sandoval two in the Giants' 12-hit attack.

Alfaro had two hits for the Phillies, who fell to 0-5 on their seven-game Western trip.

Right-hander Zach Eflin (1-5), Philadelphia's starter, took the loss, after which he cited tightness in his pitching shoulder.

"They were hitting me pretty hard," he observed. "I made a lot of good pitches and a lot of bad pitches. It had nothing to do with (the shoulder issue)."

It took the Giants just eight pitches to grab a 2-0 lead, with Parker's two-run double following a single by Span and double by Pence.

Sandoval made it 3-0 one out later with a single.

Pence's homer increased the lead to 4-0 in the third, and Crawford's two-run shot put the Giants on top 6-0 in the third.

Eflin was pulled after five innings, having allowed six runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out two.

"He really just didn't pitch well," Mackanin admitted. "We've seen him much better."

NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Moore's only career shutout came July 22, 2013 on a two-hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Boston Red Sox. ... Giants C Buster Posey's fifth-inning double gave him a 20-game hitting streak against the Phillies that dates back to the 2014 season. ... The Phillies placed CF Odubel Herrera (strained left hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list before the game, retroactive to Tuesday. They made no corresponding roster addition, and played the game with just 24 available players. ... Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) threw a 50-pitch bullpen session before the game. Unless the blister issue resurfaces in the next two days, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Cueto likely would be sent to the minors to make an injury rehab start on Monday. ... Upon further review: The Giants' win Thursday night was the 11,000th in franchise history. The Giants, formerly of New York, are the first Major League Baseball franchise to reach the milestone.

Phillies, Giants begin series between NL bottom feeders

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- The two losingest teams in baseball with little but 2018 draft order at stake begin a four-game series Thursday night when the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants meet at AT&T Park.

Two guys pitching their best ball of the season will square off in the series opener, with the Phillies sending right-hander Aaron Nola against Giants righty Jeff Samardzija.

The Phillies (43-75) are coming off a 3-0 loss at San Diego on Wednesday that capped a three-game sweep. The defeat was the Phillies' 10th in 14 games, further distancing them from the Giants (48-74) in the duel for last place in the National League.

The Phillies won two of three when the clubs met in Philadelphia in June. Neither Nola nor Samardzija pitched in that series.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2014 draft, Nola (9-7, 3.02 ERA) has faced the Giants just once in his career, and it did not go well. He was bombed for five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, yet got no decision, at AT&T Park last season.

Nola has allowed just 13 earned runs in his past 10 starts, a stretch during which he limited all 10 opponents to two earned runs or fewer.

He has been even better since the All-Star break, accumulating the NL's third-best ERA (1.85) in six starts.

Nola will duel new Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval for the first time.

Waived by the Boston Red Sox in July, signed to a minor league deal by the Giants three days later and promoted to the majors earlier this month, Sandoval has hits in eight of his 10 games in his return to the team that he helped win 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series championships.

He was the only Giant to play in all six games on their just completed trip.

"With Buster (Posey) out, I wanted to keep him in the lineup," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about Sandoval's start Wednesday at Miami. "His thing is, 'Hey, I've had enough days off this year.'"

Sandoval went 1-for-3 with a walk in San Francisco's 8-1 loss to the Marlins.

Samardzija (7-12, 4.74 ERA) will take the mound Thursday on a nice roll, but with no history of success against the Phillies.

He opened the Giants' 2-4 trip with a 3-1 loss at Washington, which ended his personal three-game winning streak. He has compiled a 3.29 ERA in those four games.

Samardzija has never gone head-to-head with a current member of the Phillies. He has a 1-4 record and a 8.67 ERA in 10 games, including four starts, in his career against Philadelphia.

Like Nola, Samardzija should expect to see an unfamiliar opponent on Thursday night. The Phillies demoted their Wednesday starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta, to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the loss in San Diego, seeking to create a roster spot for an outfielder for the series against the Giants.

The Phillies are expected to make the promotion announcement before the Thursday game.

Outfield help is needed with Odubel Herrera sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

"I don't have a definite answer for that," manager Pete Mackanin responded when asked if Herrera, who sat out the Phillies' past two games, might be ready by the weekend. "In the meantime, we need a position player."

Stanton kept in park in Marlins' rout of Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton was realistic after his franchise-record streak of home runs in six consecutive games was snapped.

"I ain't going to hit a homer in 45 games straight," Stanton said.

Stanton, who leads the majors with 44 homers, still went 2-for-4 on Wednesday as his Miami Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-1 at Marlins Park.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who homered in eight consecutive games in 1987, holds the major league record -- along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Dale Long.

"It would've been cool to mess with (Mattingly) a bit if I could've (broken his record)," Stanton said. "But I felt good. We won."

Jose Urena (11-5), who leads the Marlins in wins, allowed just one run, unearned, in five innings, improving his ERA to 3.61. Urena got defensive help in the third inning from speedy second baseman Dee Gordon, who fielded a one-hop grounder from Nick Hundley and beat the catcher to the first-base bag.

Despite not going deep on Wednesday, Stanton has slugged 11 homers in his past 13 games and 23 in 36 games. He is on pace to hit 60 homers this year, a milestone reached by only five players in major league history.

"He's going to hit 60," Urena said of Stanton. "I hope he hits 61 and 62.

"For the fans, everyone is waiting for him to hit a home run. That's what we (as players) are waiting for, too."

With Stanton held in check, little-used first baseman Tomas Telis, making just his ninth start of the year, went 2-for-4 with a season-high three RBIs.

Telis helped the Marlins (58-61) take two of three games from the Giants (48-74). The Marlins have now won six of their past eight series.

Giants starter Matt Cain (3-10), who lasted just four innings, allowed five runs, two earned. He is winless in his past 13 starts, going a career-worst 0-9 in that span. He hasn't won a game in more than three months (May 15).

All three of Cain's unearned runs occurred in the first inning, when Miami scored four times.

The Giants were hurt by catcher's interference charged against Hundley and a fielding error on shortstop Brandon Crawford. Miami's biggest hit of the inning was a two-run, opposite-field double by Telis.

Stanton got hit by a pitch in the second inning when Cain tried to tie him up inside on a full-count, 91-mph fastball.

"He's been pretty comfortable (at the plate)," Cain said of Stanton. "I tried to keep him off balance.

"That's the biggest thing with Stanton -- if he gets extended, he has a good chance of putting good wood on the ball. ... It got away from me. It's 3-2. I tried to be on the inner-third. I tried to keep the barrel off (the ball), and I missed way up."

San Francisco, taking advantage of a two-out fielding error by Telis, scored a run in the third, cutting Miami's lead to 4-1.

But the Marlins went ahead 5-1 in the bottom of the third when Derek Dietrich smoked a triple to the gap in right-center and scored on a single by Telis. It was Dietrich's fifth triple of the year, tying his career best.

Giants reliever Albert Suarez walked two batters in the fifth, and that led to a pair of Marlins runs on RBI singles by Mike Aviles and pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki. It was Suzuki's 20th pinch hit of the season, one short of the Marlins record set by Ross Gload in 2009.

Miami got its final run in the seventh when pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas' single drove in Aviles.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who has started 16 different outfielders and eight third basemen in an injury-plagued season, didn't take solace in breaking Stanton's streak.

"I'd rather he hit a home run," Bochy said, "and we win the game."

NOTES: Marlins RHP Jose Urena has 11 wins following a team loss, leading the majors in that category. ... Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton on Tuesday finished a stretch of 35 games in which he hit 23 homers. Only three other hitters in major league history have matched or exceeded that stretch in one season: Sammy Sosa (25 in 1998), Barry Bonds (24, 2001) and Mark McGwire (23, 1999). ... Giants 2B Joe Panik was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list retroactive to Monday. He was hit on the head during a home-plate collision on Sunday at the Washington Nationals. ... Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) will throw a bullpen session on Friday. ... INF Miguel Gomez (right knee) will start a rehab assignment on Thursday at Class A San Jose and could be activated by the Giants by Saturday. ... Miami opens a three-game series at the New York Mets on Friday. ... The Giants return home to open a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

Stanton is the show in Giants-Marlins series

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(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 44 homers, is putting on a spectacular power show.

Stanton has homered in six consecutive games -- two short of the major league record -- and will try to keep it going on Wednesday afternoon when his Miami Marlins (57-61) play the San Francisco Giants (48-73) in the rubber game of a three-game series.

"You have to be a little more careful with a guy like that," Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner said after allowing a home run to Stanton but also striking him out on Tuesday.

Outside of Stanton, Wednesday's game has little meaning. The Giants have the second-worst record in the National League and are just trying to get the season over with as quickly as possible.

The Marlins, 8 1/2 games out of the wild-card race, have dreams of getting into contention. But a 9-4 loss Tuesday to the lowly Giants showed, once again, that Miami is simply too inconsistent to be taken seriously at the moment.

So without a playoff race to monitor, the game will be all about Stanton, who has hit 11 homers in his past 12 games and 22 in his past 35.

The last major-leaguer to homer in six straight games before Stanton was Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who accomplished the feat in 2015.

Stanton's 11 homers in August are a Marlins record for this month. His 11 homers in the first 15 days of any month put him in rare company as only three other players in major league history have done that: Ralph Kiner in 1949, Sammy Sosa in 1998 and Troy Tulowitzki in 2010.

Since the All-Star break, Stanton has 18 homers, which leads the majors and ties a Marlins record.

On Wednesday, assuming he is in the lineup in a day game after a night game, Stanton will face Giants right-hander Matt Cain (3-9, 5.22 ERA), who has been very hittable the past several years.

Cain, who hasn't started since July 31, hasn't produced a double-figure-win season since 2012. The last time he had an ERA under 4.00 was also in 2012.

The only reason he is in the lineup on Wednesday is because the Giants needed an extra starter due to a Sunday doubleheader at Washington.

Cain, 32, is making his 21st start and 23rd appearance of the season. He is winless in his past 12 starts, going 0-8 with a 6.29 ERA. He hasn't won a game since May 15.

Perhaps there is some optimism for Giants fans in that Cain is 6-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 17 career starts against the Marlins. In his only appearance against Miami this season, Cain gave up two walks (one intentional) in a one-third of any inning.

Cain will be opposed by right-hander Jose Urena, who has assumed the role of Marlins ace. Urena (10-5, 3.76 ERA) leads the Marlins in wins but has been vulnerable to the long ball (17 homers). He has also battled control issues, hitting 13 batters.

Urena has faced the Giants just twice, including one start, and he is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in those appearances. In his one start against San Francisco this year, he gave up three runs and five hits (including two homers) in five innings.

Those are not good numbers, but they are trumped by Cain's road record this year: 0-6 with a 7.69 ERA.

So, if all else fails, sit back and enjoy Stanton's chase at history, a story that comes with a twist since Marlins manager Don Mattingly is one of three players who homered in eight straight games, joining Dale Long and Ken Griffey Jr.

"Mine was a little eighty-day-er," said Mattingly, downplaying his home run streak that started on July 8, 1987 and lasted until July 18. "It is just one of those things that you just feel good up there."

Stanton, who has driven in 94 runs this year, is on pace for 129 RBIs, which would break Preston Wilson's franchise record. Wilson drove in 121 runs in 2000.

However, the home run chase is getting far more attention, and Mattingly is one of the few people on earth who knows what it is like to be this hot and this consistent with a power stroke over six games or more.

Mattingly, who hit 10 homers during his incredible streak in 1987, had "only" 30 long balls overall that season. But he still had a great year, batting .327 with 38 doubles, two triples, 115 RBIs and a .937 OPS. Mattingly was 26 years old at the time, and the most amazing thing was that it wasn't his best year in any of those categories.

Now he is managing Stanton ... and rooting for him as well.

"I would like to see him beat (the record) because that means he hits a homer tomorrow and the first two games in New York (against the Mets)," Mattingly said. "The last thing I'm going to do is root against him hitting homers.

"We're trying to win games."

Giants overcome another Stanton homer, beat Marlins

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Don Mattingly, manager of the Miami Marlins and former New York Yankees hitting star, is one of the few people in the world who truly knows how Giancarlo Stanton feels right now.

Stanton homered for the sixth consecutive game, but Miami blew a seventh-inning lead as the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 9-4 win on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.

"What Giancarlo has been doing is just incredible," said Mattingly, who, along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Dale Long, holds the major league record with homers in eight straight games. "Any time he is up there ... he's right on a lot of balls. He's very dangerous right now."

Stanton leads the majors with 44 homers. He has gone deep 11 times in his past 12 games and 23 times in 35 games. He is on pace to hit 60 homers this year, a milestone reached by only five players in major league history.

However, the Giants (48-73) were able to steal some of Stanton's thunder, evening the three-game series against Miami (57-61). The Marlins had their season-high-tying, four-game win streak snapped.

San Francisco took advantage of a poor night by Miami's bullpen, especially Junichi Tazawa (2-3), who did not register an out in the seventh inning, allowing four hits and three runs.

The big blows in the seventh were delivered by Carlos Moncrief on an RBI single and Hunter Pence with a run-scoring double.

"I just missed my spots," Tazawa said through an interpreter.

Center fielder Denard Span, who singled in that inning, homered earlier in the game and finished 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs.

Rookie first baseman Ryder Jones, who hit a solo homer in the eighth to increase San Francisco's lead to 7-4, also had a big game, including a double. It was the first time in his brief career that he posted two extra-base hits in one game.

Madison Bumgarner (3-5) earned the win, allowing nine hits and four runs in six innings. He also had an RBI single.

Bumgarner, a four-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion, gave up the homer to Stanton.

"That was a matchup a lot of baseball fans and us in the game were looking forward to," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Bumgarner won't back down."

The left-hander said it was enjoyable going up against Stanton.

"I might not have gone about it in the smartest way," said Bumgarner, referencing the fact that he challenged a red-hot hitter, "but it was certainly fun. (Stanton) is locked in."

The Giants are now 3-8 in Bumgarner's starts this season, including 1-5 on the road.

Meanwhile, Marlins starter Dan Straily, who allowed three runs in five innings, had to settle for a no-decision after Miami's bullpen imploded. Straily had beaten the Giants every time he had faced them previously, going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA.

Miami wasted no time in scoring. In the first inning, Stanton crushed a single to left and scored when Christian Yelich, batting cleanup for the first time this season, drove a double over the head of Span in center field.

San Francisco took a 2-1 lead in the third on Span's eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot.

In the bottom of the third, Stanton tied the score with his homer, and Miami grabbed a 3-2 lead on J.T. Realmuto's sacrifice fly, scoring Marcell Ozuna, who had singled to start the rally.

Backup catcher A.J. Ellis hit his third homer of the season in the fourth, giving Miami a 4-2 lead. Two of Ellis' homers this year have come against the Giants.

San Francisco's comeback began in the fifth as Jones hit a leadoff double and scored on Bumgarner's line-drive single to left.

"In my mind, I made one mistake the whole day," Straily said, "the pitch I left over the middle to Bumgarner."

The Giants got to Tazawa in the seventh, ending a two-game losing streak and allowing Bochy the opportunity to poke fun at Bumgarner, who got picked off second base in the third inning.

Asked about Bumgarner's reaction time, Bochy joked: "He looked like a Clydesdale getting back."

NOTES: Miami placed LHP Jarlin Garcia (biceps) on the disabled list and activated RHP Kyle Barraclough (shoulder). ... Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton on his home run barrage: "It's a nice buzz for sports, for baseball and for Miami." ... Marlins 2B Dee Gordon leads the National League with 16 games of three or more hits. ... Marlins RHP Nick Wittgren, who hasn't pitched since July 27, said his elbow soreness has subsided, and he could return this month. ... Giants 2B Joe Panik, who was hit in the head on Sunday in a collision at the plate, will likely avoid the disabled list and could return this week. ... Giants RHP Matt Cain (3-9, 5.22 ERA), who hasn't started since July 31, will open Wednesday's series finale. San Francisco needed an extra starter due to a Sunday doubleheader. Miami will start RHP Jose Urena (10-5, 3.76 ERA).

Stanton breaks Marlins' homer record in win over Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Dee Gordon, normally quiet around the media, strutted into the interview room and started talking happily even before the first question was asked.

"Yes, (Giancarlo) Stanton is good," Gordon said with a smile, knowing that the Miami Marlins slugger was -- again -- the main story on the team, just as he has been so often the past month.

Earlier Monday night, Stanton broke the franchise single-season record for homers and knocked in three runs, leading Miami to an 8-3 win over the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park.

Stanton's 43rd homer of the year topped Gary Sheffield's 21-year franchise record. It was the fifth straight game in which Stanton has homered, breaking another club record, and this time it was a two-run shot in the first following a Gordon single.

"It's been my fault the past week and a half because I haven't been getting on base to start the game, so he's only been getting one RBI," said Gordon, who went 3-for-5 and leads the National League with 16 games of three or more hits. "For him to get two RBIs was pretty cool."

Facing Giants starter Ty Blach (8-8), Stanton lined a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence. The pitch was clocked at 91 mph, and the drive went 382 feet, shorter than most of Stanton's titanic blasts.

"It doesn't need to be," Stanton said of the distance. "(Blach's pitch) was a little in on me."

Gordon said this is the happiest he has seen Stanton.

"Finally," Gordon said. "I've been with him for three years, and for him to finally have a smile on his face and some charisma is pretty cool."

Gordon, who has 40 steals this season, said he won't run anymore while Stanton is batting.

"I just have to stay still so he can hit," Gordon said. "If I go to second, they might walk him."

Stanton has hit 10 homers in his past 11 games and 22 long balls in his past 34 contests. He is on pace to hit 60 homers this season, a number that has been reached by only five players in major-league history: Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds.

"He's not just a hot hitter," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Stanton. "We're talking 'en fuego' with the long ball."

The Marlins (57-60) have won four games in a row, tying their season best. The Giants (47-73) have the third-worst record in the majors.

Adam Conley (5-5) earned the win, allowing six hits, three walks and three runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Blach, only the third San Francisco Giants left-hander to win at least eight games as a rookie, allowed nine hits, three walks and six runs. Unfortunately for him, he got into trouble right away with Gordon and then Stanton.

"We were trying to get inside on (Stanton)," Blach said. "He tries to get his arms extended."

After Stanton did just that, the Giants scored three times when they batted around in the third. The big blows were a two-run, ground-rule double by Denard Span that hopped the fence in right and Hunter Pence's RBI single.

Miami rallied in the bottom of the third. Gordon singled and tagged up, taking second on a fly ball by Stanton that Span caught against the fence in left-center. Gordon scored on Christian Yelich's single, tying the score 3-3.

Stanton came through with a two-out RBI single as part of a two-run fourth, stroking a 0-2 pitch to left. Gordon also contributed an RBI single in the inning.

Marcell Ozuna led off the fifth by hitting the first pitch over the fence in center. His 27th homer of the season gave Miami a 6-3 lead.

Miami closed the scoring with two more runs in the seventh, highlighted by Tyler Moore's RBI double. Moore then scored on a Nick Hundley passed ball, and Miami nearly scored one more but shortstop Brandon Crawford threw Derek Dietrich out at the plate.

The story, though, was Stanton, and his teammates are thrilled for his success, especially after injuries have cut most of his prior seasons short.

"(Stanton) is finally healthy," Gordon said, "and he's killing people."

NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton, who hit .333 with six homers and 11 RBIs in seven games, was named the NL Player of the Week. It's the fifth career Player of the Week honor for Stanton. ... Stanton is the Marlins' all-time home run leader with 251. Dan Uggla is second with 154. ... Marlins RHP Kyle Barraclough (shoulder) is expected to come off the disabled list this week. ... Giants RHP Sam Dyson, a former Marlins reliever, has nine saves in 10 chances and a 2.23 ERA in 24 appearances for San Francisco. ... The Giants arrived in Miami a tired team, having played three games in 24 hours, including a doubleheader at the Washington Nationals that finished Sunday night. ... Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (right flexor) is set to throw a bullpen session this week. He hasn't pitched since July 14.

Kendrick's slam in 11th gives Nats doubleheader split

(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- Howie Kendrick wasn't making every statement a declarative one late Sunday night.

"I think they have accepted me," Kendrick, with a smile, said of his teammates.

They certainly have now, as the outfielder hit a walk-off grand slam with no outs in the 11th inning Sunday night as the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2, earning a split of a day-night doubleheader.

Kendrick, who came to Washington from the Philadelphia Phillies in late July, was sure of one thing.

"I am not going to lie: It was my first grand slam. To me, it was probably one of the best moments of my career," he said.

In the first game, Joe Panik went 3-for-4 with a walk and drove in two runs, and Chris Stratton got his first major league win as a starter as San Francisco beat the Nationals 4-2.

"I saw the ball well. That is all you can hope for," Panik said.

Stratton (1-2), making his third career start and 12th appearance, pitched scoreless ball for a career-best 6 2/3 innings. He struck out a career-high 10 batters while issuing just one walk.

"You have to be ready for whatever," said Stratton, who made his first appearance since Aug. 5. "You have to stay locked in. I thought we attacked the zone very well today."

The 2012 first-round pick from Mississippi was 1-0 in seven games out of the bullpen as a rookie in 2016.

"He had good command of all of his pitches," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It was a really good day for him. He certainly executed today."

In the second game, Daniel Murphy (two hits) singled off Albert Suarez to begin the 11th, took third on a bloop single by Ryan Zimmerman (three hits).

"That was outstanding baserunning by Daniel Murphy," Washington manager Dusty Baker said.

An intentional walk to Anthony Rendon loaded the bases.

Kendrick's blast to left on a 2-2 pitch from Suarez (0-2) ended the game.

"You really don't want to face him," Baker said of Kendrick, who had two hits in the nightcap. "He is great with two outs. The guys on the team love him. He is strong enough to hit the ball out. He has a great attitude."

The winning pitcher was Matt Albers (6-2), who pitched two scoreless innings.

In the top of the seventh in the second game, the Giants' Pablo Sandoval hit a long homer to right off Max Scherzer to tie the game at 2-2.

It was Sandoval's first homer since rejoining San Francisco after he spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Boston Red Sox.

Zimmerman lined a solo homer into the bullpen in left to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Zimmerman, who is second in Montreal/Washington franchise history in hits, smashed his 27th homer against Giants starter Matt Moore with two outs. Moore gave up two runs in seven innings with nine strikeouts. He has not won a game since June 20 at Atlanta.

Scherzer allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings and fanned 10 before Brandon Kintzler pitched a perfect eighth. Scherzer, who threw 107 pitches, has fanned 10 batters or more 13 times this year and 62 times in his career.

"A lot of baseball here in the last two days for us, or the last 24 hours," Scherzer said.

Denard Span, a former Nationals outfielder, was 2-for-5 for the Giants in the nightcap while Panik was 2-for-4.

The first-place Nationals (70-46) are 5-1 this year against the last-place Giants (47-72), who are 20-40 on the road. The Nationals have not lost at home in a game started by Scherzer since June 11 against the Texas Rangers.

Murphy hit a solo homer to left off Moore in the third inning to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

The Giants tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth as Span had an infield single and scored on a single by Hunter Pence against Scherzer. Center field Michael A. Taylor, activated earlier Sunday from a minor league rehab stint, threw out Panik at the plate on the play to keep the game tied.

"It was a long day. It would have really been long had we lost. It is nice to him back," Baker said of Taylor.

NOTES: Washington RF Bryce Harper (hyperextended left knee) went on the 10-day disabled list Sunday and OF Michael A. Taylor was activated after missing more than a month with a right oblique strain. Harper was injured while running out a groundball Saturday, but he may not be lost for the season. "We dodged a bullet," Washington GM Mike Rizzo said. ... The Giants called up INF Orlando Calixte from Triple-A Sacramento as the 26th man for the day-night doubleheader. The Nationals called on C Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse for the same role. ... San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy and Washington manager Dusty Baker each have 1,836 career wins. ... Giants LHP Ty Blach (8-7, 4.15 ERA) will face Marlins LHP Adam Conley (4-5, 5.43 ERA) on Monday in Miami. ... Washington is off Monday before beginning a series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

Giants beat Nats in first game of doubleheader behind Stratton

(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- Joe Panik was 3-for-4 with a walk and drove in two runs and Chris Stratton got his first major league win as a starter as the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Sunday.

Stratton (1-2), making his third career start and 13th game, struck out a career-high 10 batters with just one walk while going a career-best 6 2/3 innings. The 2012 first-round pick from Mississippi was 1-0 in seven games out of the bullpen as a rookie in 2016.

The Nationals had five singles and did not get anyone to second base against Stratton until the seventh. With two runners on lefty reliever Josh Osich retired pinch hitter Daniel Murphy on a flyball for the last out of the seventh. Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Gorkys Hernandez, the No. 8 hitter, had an RBI single in the second and two batters later Panik lined a single to drive in two runs and give the Giants a 3-0 lead against A.J Cole. Pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson had a sac fly off Matt Grace in the eighth to make it 4-0.

Cole (1-3) gave up three runs in six innings before Sammy Solis took over in the seventh.

Hunter Strickland was roundly booed when he entered the game to pitch in the eighth for the Giants. Strickland hit Bryce Harper with a pitch in April to ignite a brawl in which both players were suspended.

Anthony Rendon then hit a two-run homer off Strickland to trim the lead to 4-2 after the Giants bullpen had not allowed an earned run in 21 1/3 innings. It is the first extra-base hit by a current National against Strickland in 22 at-bats.

Andrew Stevenson (2-for-4) got the start in center for the hosts. Regular center fielder Brian Goodwin (2-for-4) started in right in place of the injured Harper.

The first-place Nationals (69-46) began the day with a league-high team average of .275. The Giants (47-71) lost their first four games to Washington this season and last five overall. Ryder Jones and Hernandez had two hits for the Giants.

NOTES: Washington RF Bryce Harper (hyperextended left knee) went on the 10-day disabled list Sunday and OF Michael A. Taylor was recalled from his minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg. Harper was injured in his first at-bat while running out a groundball late Saturday night but may not be lost for the season. "We dodged a bullet," said Washington general manager Mike Rizzo. ... The Giants called up INF Orlando Calixte from Triple-A Sacramento as the 26th man for the day-night doubleheader while the Nationals called on C Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse for the same role. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy has 1,836 career wins and Washington manager Dusty Baker has 1,835. ... Giants LHP Ty Blach (8-7, 4.15 ERA) will face Marlins LHP Adam Conley 4-5, 5.43 ERA) on Monday in Miami.

Harper hurts leg in Nationals' win over Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON --The scenario didn't look good at all for the Washington Nationals when Bryce Harper hit the first-base bag and tumbled onto the ground in the last of the first inning late Saturday night.

Many of the Nationals fans who stayed around after a three-hour rain delay saw possible postseason hopes become bleak. When Harper left the stadium, he was walking on his own power in the Nationals' clubhouse around 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning after a 3-1 win by the Nationals over the San Francisco Giants.

Harper has a hyperextended left knee after getting hurt on a groundout. The 2015 National League MVP will have an MRI later Sunday, Washington manager Dusty Baker said.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, "I don't know what happened really. It looked like he slipped on the bag. It might have been wet or something. Hopefully, he is OK. He is a key player for Washington and you hate to see anybody get hurt. I certainly hope it is not too bad."

Edwin Jackson, the Washington starter and winner, said, "You hope for the best. It is good to see him walking around" the clubhouse.

Jackson allowed just one run in six innings, Adam Lind was 3 for 3 with an RBI and Ryan Zimmerman had two hits and drove in a run for Washington.

"Somehow he has our number. Pitching for San Diego last year, he pitched well against us. He did a job on us," Bochy said of Jackson. "He's got good stuff."

But the pitching of Jackson and hitting of Lind was overshadowed by the Harper injury.

"We know he hyperextended it when he slipped going across the bag. He's going to get an MRI," Baker said. "We just ask for prayers that it's not serious. We're just urging everybody out there that are Nationals fans and baseball fans to say a prayer for him tonight because he was in obvious pain out there. We're just hoping for the best."

Jackson (3-2) gave up five hits before Brandon Kintzler took over and pitched a scoreless seventh.

Ryan Madson allowed a double to Buster Posey but pitched a scoreless eighth for Washington. Left-hander Sean Doolittle threw a perfect ninth for his eighth save with the Nationals.

Doolittle was one of three University of Virginia products in the game, along with Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (2 for 3 with a walk) and Giants left fielder Jarrett Parker (1-for-4).

Virginia was in the news Saturday for the racial unrest that took place. A moment of silence was observed before the game for the victims of the clash.

Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (7-12), who had won his previous three starts, gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings and threw a less than ideal 120 pitches.

"He really competed well. He threw a lot of pitches. He kept us in the game there," Bochy said.

Wilmer Difo also had two hits for Washington. The Nationals are 69-45 and the Giants are 46-71, including 0-4 this year against Washington.

Joe Panik hit a solo homer off Jackson in the first inning to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. It was the seventh homer of the season for Panik, who had gone 79 at-bats since his last homer on July 15 at San Diego.

Washington scored two runs in the last of the first take a 2-1 lead even though Harper was injured in the process.

Zimmerman had an RBI double and Daniel Murphy drove in a run with a single after Harper, the third batter for the Nationals, left the game.

Harper left after his left foot slipped on the first base bag as he tried to beat out a ground ball to first baseman Ryder Jones.

Harper fell to the ground and held his left knee for several minutes. He was helped off the field and did not put any weight on his left leg as athletic trainer Paul Lessard and hitting coach Rick Schu helped him to the clubhouse.

The start of the game was delayed three hours, one minute by rain Saturday and there was a light rain in the first inning.

Harper is hitting .326 with 29 homers and 89 RBIs in 106 games and 402 at-bats for the first-place Nationals, who entered the day 14 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Miami Marlins in the National League East.

The Nationals lost center fielder Adam Eaton for the season in late April when he also hit the bag in a strange way at first base at home. Washington hopes the same fate doesn't happen to Harper.

"He was in obvious pain, and he was praying and I was praying, too. He was talking to the Master. That's what we usually do when things are in a bad way. The good thing is he's young and strong. I'm very optimistic that he'll be at least fine shortly," Baker said.

NOTES: Giants RHP Mark Melancon, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, was activated off the disabled list and INF Miguel Gomez (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 9. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (right elbow nerve impingement) told reporters he is slated to make a minor league rehab appearance Monday for Class A Potomac of the Carolina League. The game will be in Woodbridge, Va., against the Salem (Va.) Red Sox, a farm team of Boston. ... Washington RHP A.J. Cole (1-2, 5.63 ERA) and RHP Max Scherzer (12-5, 2.23) will pitch for the Nationals in a day-night doubleheader Sunday. They will be opposed by Giants RHP Chris Stratton (0-2, 6.63) and LHP Matt Moore (3-12, 5.88).

Cubs may have suffered two losses against Giants

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- It was bad enough for the Chicago Cubs that they left AT&T Park having lost twice in a three-game series in the wake of the San Francisco Giants posting a 3-1 win Wednesday afternoon.

To leave town fearing they've lost cleanup hitter Willson Contreras to a hamstring injury could put a far more serious crimp in Chicago's postseason hopes than the two losses.

Contreras came up limping running to first base while making the final out of the eighth inning.

"He's a DL candidate," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We'll have to wait and see. That's no fun. Apparently he pulled a hamstring. Maybe we'll get lucky and it's just a bad cramp."

The Cubs flew after the game to Arizona for a series that starts Friday. On Thursday, Contreras, who has 21 homers and 70 RBIs and who was the National League Player of the Week last week, will have an MRI to determine the scope of the injury.

"He's been carrying us," starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "It's definitely a blow, not good. It gets quiet in the dugout. You feel bad for him, a guy who works so hard."

The Giants were on the other end of the injury equation. Madison Bumgarner, who spent three months on the disabled list with a left shoulder sprain, was back and as filthy as ever. He was dinged for a third-inning homer by Albert Almora Jr. but allowed just three other hits and one walk in seven innings.

Since his return, he has made six starts. In the last four, he has allowed four runs total while striking out 25 and walking five in 24 innings.

"I feel normal," Bumgarner said. "I'm throwing the ball really well. I'll throw as many pitches as they'll let me. They've got to be smart about it, but I'm feeling good. It's the mindset of being healthy in arm strength and the mindset of making pitches again."

While the Cubs are in first place in the National League Central, the Giants are dead last in the NL West. Having Bumgarner back, however, levels the playing field.

Three times in his last four starts he has matched up with likely playoff teams, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Diamondbacks and now the Cubs have struggled to do much against him.

The Giants, while 24 games under .500 at 46-70, have back-to-back series wins over the Diamondbacks and Cubs, two NL powers.

"It's no coincidence," the Giants' Hunter Pence said.

The right fielder drove in the game's final run with a homer in the eighth inning.

"Having him back is a big impact, not only in the games he starts but just his presence. His mentality seeps into everyone."

San Francisco scored first on an RBI single from Joe Panik in the second. Almora tied the score in the third by going deep, and the game sat there until Denard Span, Ryder Jones and Jarrett Parker backed up hits in the seventh.

"We scrapped, we scratched and clawed for runs in that seventh inning today," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "There were some balls that weren't hit hard, but they put them in play. It's good to get some wins, and get some wins against two pretty good ballclubs, Arizona and Chicago. It makes for a great flight heading to Washington."

The Cubs' flight to Phoenix, while much shorter, will be more difficult for the Central leaders to enjoy.

"Other guys have to say 'we have to pick up the slack,'" Maddon said of a future where Contreras might not be a factor. "I've seen it before when your best player at the moment goes down. Guys start to pick it up."

NOTES: Cubs RF Ben Zobrist opened the game with a single. He is now 7-for-15 lifetime against Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner. ... In a bit of irony, Willson Contreras, who is normally the Cubs' catcher, was at first base, the idea being to give his legs a bit of a rest. ... RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) will travel with the Giants to Washington and it's possible that he will be activated from the disabled list Friday. ... Giants OF Hunter Pence's homer was his second of the homestand. He hadn't hit a home run at AT&T Park all season before these two. ... The Cubs put RHP Koji Uehara on the disabled list with tightness in his neck. Justin Grimm was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. ... San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto, still dealing with a blister, will travel with the team to Washington. The plan will be for him to do some light throwing over the weekend.

Cubs' Quintana, Giants' Blach meet in battle of lefties

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(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Jose Quintana is learning as much about his new team as the Chicago Cubs are learning about their new left-handed starter.

Quintana hopes to take another positive step Tuesday night when he makes his fifth start with Chicago against the Giants and left-hander Ty Blach in the second game of a three-game set.

Chicago took the opener 5-3 on Monday.

Quintana (6-9, 4.42 ERA overall; 2-1, 4.13 ERA for the Cubs) surrendered six runs over five innings in his last start, Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was the only downer on an otherwise strong start since moving from the south side of Chicago with the White Sox to the north side. Arizona hit three home runs on a hitter-friendly day at Wrigley.

"My approach never changes. I just focus on throwing the ball well and hitting my spots and getting my outs," Quintana said. "My confidence is high."

Because of that attitude, Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio is confident Quintana will continue to give Chicago what it wants.

"Before the umpire rolls that ball out, he'll be the guy who picks it up before it stops," Bosio said of Quintana. "He's a true competitor, loves the game, and he's ready to go every fifth game."

The Cubs saw plenty in the 28-year-old native of Colombia that might not have been evident while he was going 4-8 with 4.49 ERA over 18 starts with the White Sox this year.

"He's an up-tempo pitcher who likes to be aggressive, which fits our style," Bosio said. "He's one of the boys. It was nice for him to stay at home, basically come across town, and he fits in with what we do."

Quintana is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in one career start against the Giants. The loss was in 2014 while with the White Sox. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

"Every time I go to the mound, I try to do the best I can," Quintana said. "That's where I have control. And it's a really good team. I'm just real happy to be here."

San Francisco hopes Blach (7-7, 4.24 ERA) can maintain his recent form as well as the success he experienced against the Cubs earlier this season. On May 22 at Wrigley Field, he went seven innings, allowing three runs with three strikeouts and no walks in a 6-4 victory in his lone career start vs. Chicago.

The 26-year-old native of Denver has won three of five decisions over his past six appearances, posting a 3.05 ERA in that span.

Blach was especially effective in his last start on Thursday -- an eight-inning outing in which he allowed two runs on six hits during an 11-2 victory over the Oakland A's. He also crushed a three-run home run, a drive estimated at 416 feet.

"It was the Ty Blach show," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the win. "He's been one of the silver linings we've seen this year."

Blach will try to get San Francisco back in the win column a night after the Cubs feasted on another Giants lefty, Matt Moore. Chicago's left-handed batters accounted for six of the team's eight hits against Moore.

"We really have to fix this left-handed deal," Bochy said. "Lefties are having too much success off (Moore). If you look at the year, he's got too good of stuff to have left-handers hitting him like this."

Arrieta's pitching, Baez's inside-the-park HR spark Cubs

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Jake Arrieta wasn't at his best Monday night. However, whenever he is pitching in California, everything seems to come out all right.

Javier Baez hit an inside-the-park home run to stake his starter to an early lead, and Arrieta continued his pitching prowess in the Golden State as the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3.

Arrieta (11-8) scattered nine hits over 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned).

"Physically, I didn't really feel on my game," he said. "I noticed it from the start, when I started to play catch to the pregame side. What I really wanted to do was be efficient and not put guys on for free."

First-place Chicago (59-52) increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games in the National League Central while snapping San Francisco's modest two-game winning streak.

"I'm a scoreboard watcher. Guilty," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "But if you take care of your own business, you'll be OK."

Chicago closer Wade Davis remained perfect in save situations by earning his 24th of the season with a scoreless ninth. That after Pedro Strop and Brian Duensing combined for 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief.

"I thought Jake was really good," Maddon said. "Give Duensing and Strop credit, they were outstanding again tonight. They settled that thing down when it needed to be settled down. I'll take it."

In leading the Cubs to their 16th win in 23 games since the All-Star break, Arrieta improved to 7-1 with a 1.14 ERA in his past nine regular-season starts in California dating back to Aug. 25, 2015.

Arrieta struck out five and didn't walk anyone as the Giants lost at home to Chicago for only the third time in nine games.

"When you have a lead, that's exactly what you want to do -- pitch to contact, work the corners and try to keep guys off balance, and I was able to do that really well," Arrieta said.

Staked to a 5-0 lead, Arrieta surrendered his first two runs in the sixth inning on rookie Ryder Jones' first career home run, into the right-center-field bleachers. Pablo Sandoval, who doubled earlier in the inning, scored on Jones' homer.

The Giants chased Arrieta an inning later when Joe Panik singled to plate Denard Span, who reached with an uncharacteristic one-out, two-base error on Chicago right fielder Jason Heyward.

"Those guys did some good things," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of his hitters. "We had some good at-bats in that game. It comes down to you have to get hits with runners on base."

The Cubs scored twice on the team's first inside-the-park home run in over a year. Baez hit a ball of the right-center-field fence that bounced back toward right after Carlos Moncrief misplayed the drive. Moncrief was playing right field in just his sixth game with the Giants.

With Heyward leading the way after his two-out single, Baez steamed around the bases and slid across the plate head-first to barely beat a tag from catcher Buster Posey, who had to wait for Moncrief's strong throw, which raised an eyebrow from Maddon.

"That guy, that might be the best arm I've seen," Maddon said. "That's a Bo Jackson arm. That was Bo good. That was a big hit at the time."

Moncrief smiled when he heard Maddon's remark, but he had a different take on the play.

"I was trying to go as hard as I can to keep that run from scoring," Moncrief said. "It wasn't like I'm trying to make the best throw of my life. I was just trying to keep the guy from scoring.

"Today we worked on everything, angles coming off the right field wall. That was like the only one like that,. I wasn't really anticipating it would bounce like that. Now I know for next time, though I hope there's not a next time."

Anthony Rizzo was the previous Cub to hit an inside-the-park homer on June 29, 2016, at Cincinnati.

Chicago added a run in the third when Jon Jay scampered home on a short wild pitch that struck out Willson Contreras for the second out.

Jay, who led off the fifth with a single, scored from second on Rizzo's single off Giants starter Matt Moore to make it 4-0. Rizzo scored later in the inning when Albert Almora Jr. singled to left-center.

Moore (3-12) gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven.

NOTES: Monday marked the 10-year anniversary of Barry Bonds hitting his 756th home run to break Hank Aaron's major league record. ... The Cubs opened a trip Monday night that represents the final six games they are scheduled to play west of St. Louis this season. Chicago's final 46 games are against clubs in the East and the Midwest. ... Giants rookie Carlos Moncrief started in right field as a healthy Hunter Pence got a rest. ... Cubs C Willson Contreras was honored as NL Player of the Week after batting .455 (10-for-22) with a five home runs and 13 RBIs in six games.

Arrieta-led Cubs open series vs. Giants

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(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Two years ago, Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta rode a remarkable second-half run all the way to a National League Cy Young Award.

Arrieta went 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break in 2015, and he has been heating up since the break this season. In four starts since the break, Arrieta is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA, a .154 opponents' batting average, 22 strikeouts and seven walks.

The 31-year-old veteran will try to continue that roll on Monday night when the Cubs open a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants and lefty Matt Moore at AT&T Park.

Arrieta's only loss since the break came in his latest start, Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks in a 3-0 defeat at Wrigley Field.

After that game, Arrieta (10-8, 3.88 ERA) was asked if he thought he could replicate his 2015 finish.

"Yeah, it's possible," he said. "I don't see why not. I think it's possible for all our guys to elevate themselves and pitch at a high level or compete on defense or at the plate at a level higher than they have currently. That's having a lot of confidence in the guys we have. We expect to do some special things this season, and we shouldn't think otherwise."

The defending World Series champion Cubs (58-52) lead the NL Central, but their edge is only a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago has lost back-to-back series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs dropped two of three to the Diamondbacks, then two of three to the Washington Nationals. Last year, the Cubs went 103-58, the best record in baseball, and finished 17 1/2 games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the Central.

On Sunday against Washington, the Cubs led 4-1 through six innings but gave up two runs in the seventh, five in the eighth and one in the ninth in a 9-4 loss to Washington. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras hit a pair of solo home runs, giving him 21 blasts for the season -- 10 of those since the All-Star break.

Moore (3-11, 5.80 ERA) has been mired in a season-long slump, but he will try to recapture some of the mojo he had the last time he faced the Cubs at AT&T, in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Division Series. Moore allowed two runs (one earned) over eight innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks, but the Cubs rallied to score four times in the ninth for a series-clinching 6-5 victory.

"I remember being in the fourth inning and maybe like 60 pitches," Moore said. "To wind up getting through eight innings, just so many things had to go right from the fourth inning on. For me, I don't think it could get much better, but it definitely left us with a sour taste in our mouth."

Arrieta is 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA in six career starts against the Giants, while Moore is 0-1 with a 4.50 in one regular-season start against the Cubs, a 5-4 loss on May 24 at Wrigley.

The Giants (44-69) are mired in last place in the NL West, but they beat Arizona 6-3 on Sunday and won the series 2-1.

Samardzija, Parker guide Giants past Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants saw their playoff hopes die long ago this season, but they are making the most out of their unfamiliar role as spoilers.

Jeff Samardzija pitched 6 1/3 strong innings, Jarrett Parker hit a two-run homer, and the Giants defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Park.

The Giants (44-69) beat the Diamondbacks (63-48) for the second straight game and won the series 2-1 against a team that is in the thick of the wild-card chase.

"We've been through a lot," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're banged up. We brought in some young kids to get them some playing time, and yet we go out there and play some great baseball. With what we've been through, it is nice to take a series against a club that's having a very good year."

The Diamondbacks finished their road trip 5-5 and return home for series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros, all division leaders.

"We could've done better for sure," said Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin, who took the loss Sunday. "We're definitely frustrated to come out .500, and we know we have a tough challenge coming home."

Samardzija (7-11) won his season-high third consecutive game and beat Arizona for the first time this year after back-to-back losses in his first two starts of the season. He allowed three runs on five hits, struck out three, walked three and threw 113 pitches.

"I felt pretty good," Samardzija said. "I felt they battled me pretty well. I had a good fastball today, and we used it a lot. I think they caused me to throw a lot of pitches. They battled good and stayed short, didn't strike out much. So they made me work, but overall I felt pretty good and the defense played great behind me."

Samardzija also doubled off the center-field fence and scored a run in the third inning. When he hit the ball, Samardzija thought it was going out, so he flipped the bat and started jogging to first. Then he saw the ball bounce off the fence and had to run harder for his double, drawing some laughs and jabs from his teammates.

"It just came off good, it timed up nice and I barreled it," Samardzija said. "The last time in Colorado I sprinted around the bases at a nice clip (on a home run) and ended up going out and giving up a few in the next inning. So I thought I hit it and was making sure I was just going to take it easy, and it ended up not being what I thought."

Parker, who had a walk-off single in the 10th inning of a 5-4 victory Saturday night, hit his first home run of the season in the second inning off Corbin.

Parker was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list Thursday after missing 96 games with a broken right clavicle. He was injured on April 15 against Colorado, when he slammed into the left-field fence while making a spectacular catch.

Parker made a sliding catch in foul territory Saturday. On Sunday, he threw out J.D. Martinez at home plate in the fourth inning.

"He's come up here and made some noise right away," Bochy said. "He's been impressive in the early go here."

Corbin (8-11) allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits over six innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks.

"It felt pretty good, but that pitch to Parker, that's where he hits it," Corbin said. "That's the one pitch where I'd like to have back. Should've went slider there. Fastball in, and left the fastball middle down. He's a strong guy, and he'll (make you) pay for those."

The Diamondbacks took a 1-0 lead the first when David Peralta drew a leadoff walk and scored from third on Paul Goldschmidt's two-out double.

San Francisco answered with two runs in the second on Miguel Gomez's single and Parker's homer on a full-count fastball.

The Giants increased their lead to 4-1 in the third inning on Hunter Pence's two-run, bases-loaded single, which followed a fielding error by shortstop Ketel Marte and an intentional walk to Buster Posey.

"You can point to a number of errors, a number of reasons," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of the loss. "We just didn't execute in a couple situations, whether it be offensively or defensively or with some pitches on the mound. That's the name of the game. It's a tough game.

"(Our) guys are built to understand that there are going to be certain challenges, and you just have to give it your best effort in the right situation. They're giving a tremendous effort."

Arizona cut the Giants' lead to 4-2 with a run in the fourth inning on Daniel Descalso's RBI single. However, with one out and runners on first and third, Marte flied out to left, and Martinez, who tagged up, was thrown out at home by Parker.

"The way he's playing left is above and beyond what I think our expectations were," Samardzija said of Parker.

The Giants scored two unearned runs in the fifth to make it 6-1 following an error by Descalso at second base during a rundown.

Following a double steal by Posey and Gorkys Hernandez, both runners came home on Nick Hundley's single up the middle.

Arizona scored a run in the seventh, but Albert Suarez came on with the bases loaded and retired A.J. Pollock on a ground ball for the third out.

Suarez blanked the Diamondbacks over the final 2 1/3 innings on one hit with three strikeouts for his first major league save. He struck out pinch hitter Chris Iannetta for the final out.

"It's big," Suarez said of his first save. "It's even better with a strikeout."

NOTES: Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (concussion) will throw his first bullpen session Monday since being hit in the left side of his head by a line drive on July 28 against St. Louis. Ray, who is on the seven-day concussion disabled list, is still likely to miss a second scheduled start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Arizona's Gregor Blanco started in center field on Sunday, his first start vs. the Giants since leaving them and signing as a free agent with the Diamondbacks after the 2016 season. ... Giants INF Conor Gillaspie cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Sacramento. ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford got a rare scheduled day off, with Kelby Tomlinson starting at shortstop.

Parker's walk-off single lifts Giants over D-backs in 10th

(TSX / STATS) -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Pablo Sandoval was back, and so was some of the San Francisco Giants' old magic Saturday night at AT&T Park.

Jarrett Parker hit a walk-off infield single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Giants to a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks

But it was Sandoval, playing his first game for the Giants since 2014, who ignited a three-run rally in the seventh inning that made Parker's game-winning heroics possible.

The Giants trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, but Sandoval, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, lined a leadoff double off right-hander Taijuan Walker.

Parker brought Sandoval home with a double off the right-field wall, and Pence crushed Walker's 1-1 curveball into the left-field seats for a two-run shot, making it 4-3.

"That kind of woke us up because we looked dead in the water." Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Sandoval's double. "Walker was throwing the ball well and we just couldn't do much with him. A nice piece of hitting by Pablo going the other way. He smoked it to get a double. And getting that first run just does a lot for a club. Of course. Pence followed that with the home run.

"At that point it's a different feel in the dugout, a lot of life. I wasn't surprised how we found a way to tie that ballgame."

The Giants pulled even with a run in the eighth. Pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson lined a leadoff single off left-hander Andrew Chafin and moved to third on Brandon Crawford's single to right center. Buster Posey pinch hit for Sandoval, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo countered with right-hander David Hernandez. Hernandez got Posey to ground into a double play, but Tomlinson scored to make it 4-4.

Then in the 10th, Denard Span led off the inning with a double to deep right off reliever T.J. McFarland. Tomlinson was intentionally walked, and Span moved to third when Crawford grounded into a double play. After Posey was intentionally walked, Parker grounded an infield single up the middle that second baseman Adam Rosales fielded far behind second base after a long run. Parker easily beat Rosales' desperation throw, and Span raced home to score.

"That was a team effort tonight," said Parker, who made a spectacular sliding catch in foul territory down the left-field line in the second inning. "Walker had done a good job, shutting us down for the first part of the game and then Pablo comes up and gets a big knock and gets things going. Then hunter got a big knock too."

The home run was Pence's ninth of the season but first at AT&T Park and it ended Walker's night.

The Diamondbacks dropped to the second wild-card spot in the National League, one-half game behind Colorado and five ahead of Milwaukee.

"It's' tough to absorb," Lovullo said of the loss. "I feel like we did a lot of things right early and we put ourselves in a very good position to win this game. Taijuan was cruising. He had a three-hit shutout and he worked into the seventh inning.

"It happened very quickly, but I thought we did enough at the right times to put ourselves in a position to win. We just couldn't get the big hit at the right time."

McFarland said he made one bad pitch in the 10th, and Span made him pay.

"I left something up and he hit a fastball in pretty well," McFarland (4-4) said. "That set up the inning. Obviously when you have a guy on second and nobody out, percentages go up to score. I made a pitch to Crawford and got the double play.

"Honestly, I made the pitch I wanted to make (to Parker) there at the end and it just found a hole. It's just one of those things where it found the perfect spot."

Hunter Strickland (2-2) pitched a scored 10th inning for the victory.

David Peralta went 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run for the Diamondbacks, J.D. Martinez went 3-for-4 with an RBI double, a triple and a walk.

Walker allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked none in a no-decision. Walker hasn't won a decision since June 21 at Colorado. He's 0-2 with five no-decisions over his past seven starts.

Giants rookie right-hander Chris Stratton allowed three runs, two of them earned, and five hits over five innings in his second career major league start. Stratton (right calf strain), who was activated from the disabled list Saturday, struck out four and walked four in a no-decision.

After Stratton exited, Kyle Crick allowed one unearned run over two innings. Cory Gearrin pitched a perfect eighth inning and Sam Dyson a scoreless ninth, despite loading the bases. Dyson retired Ketel Marte on a ground ball to end the threat.

NOTES: Giants 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list Saturday. Belt was hit in the head by a 79 mph curveball by Diamondbacks LHP Anthony Banda in the sixth inning Friday night and left the game. ... Giants 3B/1B Pablo Sandoval's contract was purchased from Triple-A Sacramento, and he started at third base and hit cleanup against Arizona. Sandoval played his first seven major league seasons with the Giants, from 2008 to 2014. Sandoval signed a minor league contract with the Giants on July 22 after being designated for assignment by the Red Sox on July 14. ... Giants RHP George Kontos was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates, ending his six-season run with San Francisco. ... Arizona INF Ketel Marte, who was reinstated from the bereavement list on Friday but did not play, started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with a doubleSaturday. Marte traveled to the Dominican Republic after his mother died in a car accident.