SF Giants Press Clips Monday, July 31, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle Giants blow leads in ninth and 11th, lose on rookie’s first hit Henry Schulman LOS ANGELES — As baseball’s trade deadline arrives Monday, all who have witnessed the Giants crumble through their season from hell wonder whom the front office might acquire to fix this. Madison Bumgarner does not want to hear it, does not want to believe the team that dressed in deadly silence after the worst of their 66 losses Sunday night cannot help itself. “Anytime you’re winning as a team it’s obviously good for everything,” Bumgarner said after the 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Dodgers. “It’s funny how that solves all kinds of problems. It’s easy to point fingers and say what’s got to be done to improve the team. All we’ve got to do is win and that goes away.” The trick is knowing how to win. The Giants don’t, while the Dodgers don’t know how to lose. They overcame one-run Giants leads in the ninth and 11th innings to move a staggering 34½ games ahead of the Giants. It’s the Giants largest deficit since the final day of the 1946 season and a half-game worse than where they were the day they lost their 100th game to end 1985. In a Midas-touch season, the Dodgers figured to deal Sam Dyson his first blown save with the Giants, which was not entirely his fault. Also a sign of Midas’ handiwork, they won for the 39th time in their last 45 games when catcher Kyle Farmer, in his first moment as a major-league player, lined a two-run double to right with one out in the 11th off Albert Suarez to bring Corey Seager and Justin Turner home with the tying and winning runs. In a move no manager makes lightly, Bruce Bochy ordered Turner intentionally walked as the potential winning run so Suarez could face a kid in his big-league debut rather than the National League batting leader. Joe Panik had given the Giants their second lead, at 2-1, with an RBI single in the top half. Dodger Stadium shook from the madness in the stands after Farmer’s hit moments later ended a three-game sweep. Given the standings, it would be fair to assume the Dodgers obliterated the Giants all weekend. In fact, they outscored San Francisco 11-7. But the only three leads the Giants took disappeared in short order.

“We need to find a way to finish games out, get leads, more offense, putting runs on the board, defense, pitching,” Panik said after the Giants hit into six double plays, five on the ground. Panik surmised the rivalry heightens the Giants’ fight. But what about the 50 games they have left against everyone else? Don’t the Giants need to come out with the same fight? “We better,” Panik said. “We’re blessed to be playing in the major leagues. Everyone in here has to bring that energy and that resilience for us to come back.” Not come back in the standings, but back from baseball’s graveyard. Bumgarner did his part in a start he wanted, because it was the Dodgers. He pitched his best game of the year, pre- or post-bike crash, blanking the Dodgers with seven strikeouts in seven innings. Conor Gillaspie batted for Jae-Gyun Hwang in the eighth and homered for the game’s first run. Dyson started the ninth by getting pinch-hitter Chase Utley to hit a soft bouncer to third. Gillaspie crow-hopped before his throw, making it late. Utley stole second and scored on Yasiel Puig’s single to tie the game 1-1. Dyson did some sorcery to prevent the Dodgers from winning right there, getting Cody Bellinger to fly out with the bases loaded and two outs. Two months remain, too soon for players to start dreaming of their winter vacation. They have to play to win as if the Dodgers aren’t 34½ games ahead. “To be this far back is not what you hoped for,” Panik said. “The way you cope is going out the next day and giving all you’ve got because there are 24 other guys giving everything they’ve got, a coaching staff doing everything to prepare us and fans who have been so supportive.” San Francisco Chronicle Giants could have a quiet trade deadline Henry Schulman LOS ANGELES - Eduardo Nuñez played his second game with the Red Sox on Saturday night and hit two home runs in a 9-8 victory against the Royals, which ended on his RBI groundball. As a Giant, Nuñez hit just eight homers in 484 at-bats with the Giants. "We've got to let Carl (Kochan), our strength coach know that," manager Bruce Bochy joked. The Giants had hoped the Nuñez deal would be just the start, but it could be the end, at least before Monday's 1 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline. Throughout the day Sunday the Giants did not appear close to any deals. Last-minute trades happen. The Giants already finished their leg work on potential acquisitions in the majors and minors, so they could swing a deal quickly if one arose.

But the Giants' problem is two-fold: a lot more sellers than buyers (with the Twins joining the sellers list Friday) and a market focused on front-end starters and back-end relievers. Johnny Cueto might have been part of the former, along with Oakland's Sonny Gray and Texas' Yu Darvish, had he not developed lingering blisters. In the bullpen, Sam Dyson has made himself attractive with his shutdown work for the Giants, but there were no indications the Giants were shopping him. One source suggested the Giants bullpen will remain intact Monday. But nobody can predict how things will swing in the final hours if teams that lose out on closers turn pivot to setup men (such as Hunter Strickland) as secondary targets. If the Giants want to swing a bigger trade that helps reshape their roster for 2018 and beyond, they might need to wait until the winter, when far more teams are involved. Taxi squad: The Giants brought Triple-A catcher Tim Federowicz and infielder/outfielder Ryder Jones to Los Angeles in case they needed to place Nick Hundley (concussion symptoms) or Brandon Belt (wrist sprain) on the DL. But Hundley passed a concussion protocol and Belt reported enough improvement in his wrist to get back into the lineup Sunday. Jones got hot in Sacramento after he was optioned. He got hit on his right hand in his first game back, missed two games, then went 13-for-33 in his next eight. He hit one homer Friday night and two more Saturday. Bochy said Jones will get more big-league at-bats this year, if not this week. The 23-year-old has been playing right field for the Rivercats, a new position. "It's the same as left, just a different angle," Jones said. "I've felt pretty comfortable in the outfield of late, for sure." Sorrow: First-base coach Jose Alguacil is in mourning after his 88-year-old grandmother died in Venezuela on Saturday. He told a harrowing tale Sunday. Unrest in the streets tied to a national election prevented the funeral home from coming to get his grandmother from his mother's house. Alguacil would have gone to Venezuela to be with his mom, but he just mailed his passport back to get it renewed. He wants to bring his mom on the United States, but getting a visa will be difficult in the current climate. New guy: Shaun Anderson, one of the pitchers acquired in the Nuñez deal, made his San Jose Giants debut on Friday and allowed five runs (three earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He retired 10 of his first 11 hitters, the other reaching on an error, before the fourth inning got away from him. ... Mark Melancon is expected to pitch the first inning for Sacramento on Sunday evening in his first rehab game. The New Orleans starter is former Giant Mike Kickham. ... ESPN is considering another Dodgers-Giants game in Los Angeles for “Sunday Night Baseball.” It would be Sept. 24. Sunday’s game: Madison Bumgarner seeks his first win at Dodger Stadium since April, 2015. Yasiel Puig is hitting eighth for the Dodgers. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

San Jose Mercury News Giants stunned by Dodgers rookie making his debut in 11-inning loss Andrew Baggarly LOS ANGELES – Losing Madison Bumgarner for three months didn’t wreck the Giants’ season on its own. Their organizational steering was so badly bent out of alignment before Bumgarner flew off his dirt bike in April. But Bumgarner’s separated shoulder made it that much harder for the Giants to correct course. It made it harder for them to take the field with an ornery confidence. It made it easier to accept what was happening to them, instead of calf-roping their self-doubts and tying them down. Bumgarner is back now, and it was no coincidence that the Giants moved him up to start Sunday’s 3-2, 11-inning stunner of a loss at Dodger Stadium. Their ownership insists they will try to contend in 2018, and symbolically and psychologically, that battle must begin now. The Giants stood 33 ½ games out when they took the field. The deeper the hole you’re in, the sooner you should think about starting to dig. They are 34 ½ out now – the farthest they’ve been out of first place since the final day of the 1946 season under Manager Mel Ott. You might recognize the comment that Brooklyn’s Leo Durocher supposedly made about that skipper and that team: “Nice guys finish last.” These current Giants are a pleasant enough group. They also keep falling deeper in the standings, even on nights when they receive so many essentials to win. Sam Dyson to send the game to extra innings. Kelby Tomlinson lined a pinch single in the 11th, stole second base, got a huge jump to advance on a ground out and scored on Joe Panik’s little jam-shot single up the middle. But against these Dodgers, in this season, what is the use? They are a team of destiny. There can be no doubt after the way they won their 47th home game out of 60. For complete Giants coverage follow us on Flipboard. They turned to a backup catcher making his major league debut, and Kyle Farmer lined the two-run double off Albert Suarez that sent Chavez Ravine into shrieking ecstasy. Suarez was attempting to record his first career save, and it was a toughie. He had to go through the middle of the Dodgers lineup, and Corey Seager connected for a one-out double. Bochy made the unconventional but obvious choice to intentionally walk Justin Turner, the NL’s leading hitter, for a rookie in his first at-bat. “I would’ve gone with Albert every time there,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “I was confident with him out there. He’s got good poise and good stuff.” Of course it ended with the Dodgers in back-slapping guffaws. This season, what other outcome can there be?

The Giants were left to square up their 6-7 record against the Dodgers this season, including three tightly contested losses here decided by just four runs, with the gulf they face in the standings. For complete Giants coverage follow us on Flipboard. “It is what it is,” Bumgarner said. “I try to be a realist, and that’s what it is. I try to keep it simple: try to win today. That’s the only thing that can turn it around.” Could winning now, especially against the Dodgers, start a turnaround in 2018? “Well yeah, for sure,” Bumgarner said. “It’s funny how that solves all kinds of problems. It’s easy to sit back and point fingers and say where we need to improve and whatever. But all you’ve got to do is win and all that goes away.” It is not going away, even though Bumgarner held the Dodgers scoreless for seven innings and received help from a familiar source to break a scoreless tie. Conor Gillaspie reprised his role from last year’s NL Wild Card Game in New York, hitting a pinch home run in the eighth. Stay up to date on Giants and other breaking news with our mobile app from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. It seems so long ago when Gillaspie hit his home run in the ninth inning against the New York Mets to back Bumgarner’s shutout in the NL Wild Card game. But that happened just last October. “Conor, I appreciate the hell out of that,” was Bumgarner’s laconic reaction that night at Citi Field. The Giants had to appreciate Gillaspie’s shot in the eighth off Dodgers right-hander Josh Fields, too. It came with so much less on the line. But with these two teams, there is always pride at stake. In a close game, though, they say your weaknesses will find you. And the Dodgers had so many to exploit in the ninth, they hardly knew where to start. Begin with Gillaspie requiring a third crow hop after fielding Chase Utley’s ground ball toward third base, which allowed even a 38-year-old’s legs to beat the late throw across the diamond. Continue with Dyson paying scant attention to the smartest baserunner of his generation, as Utley stole second base ahead of Buster Posey’s throw. And move along to Yasiel Puig’s single up the middle, when there was never a doubt Utley would challenge a weak-armed center fielder. Denard Span didn’t attempt a throw to the plate. There was no point. Then contrast that play with the one that the Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez made in the seventh inning, when he caught Brandon Crawford’s fly ball in medium center and made such a strong throw on a line that it arrived 10 feet ahead of Panik. It was one of six double plays that the Dodgers turned, setting a franchise record. But this was a rare night when the Giants had the pitching to overcome another frustrating night at the plate. Bumgarner wouldn’t say whether he lobbied Bochy to move up in the rotation.

“I wasn’t going to turn it down, that’s for sure,” Bumgarner said. “I wouldn’t turn down a chance to throw against the Dodgers, especially with them going as good as they are. Those are fun games.” So many times in his career, Bumgarner has emerged as an equalizer for the Giants – taking the mound, masking over his team’s flaws and imbuing them with a sense of calm while outlasting an opponent to the final out. The Giants weren’t going to ask that of Bumgarner this time. He was making just his fourth start since returning from the disabled list, and threw 99 pitches while holding the Dodgers’ deep lineup to five singles and a walk in seven innings. After Gillaspie’s homer gave them a 1-0 lead, Hunter Strickland escaped a fly out to the wall and a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. They did not escape in the 11th. With Dyson already used and Mark Melancon having thrown his scoreless inning in a rehab assignment for Triple-A Sacramento, Suarez became the man to try to hold the lead. The game was just as lost earlier when the Giants couldn’t score in seven innings against struggling left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu. Crawford’s fly ball in the seventh was the Giants’ best chance in seven innings against Ryu, who crossed paths with a childhood friend. A day earlier, Giants third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang said he had to adjust to Ryu’s changeup when they faced each other in Korea Baseball Organization but was comfortable he could recognize the pitch now. Ryu struck him out on a changeup. He also got Hwang to ground into a forceout. Who could have foreseen it? At the end of the night, Suarez and Farmer provided the matchup that a jubilant crowd will long remember. It left the Dodgers celebrating and the Giants coping. “The way you cope is knowing you’ve got to go out there the next day and give it your all,” Panik said. “Because you’ve got 24 other guys giving everything they’ve got, you’ve got a coaching staff doing everything to prepare us, and you’ve got fans who are still so supportive.” Can they give it their all against opponents who aren’t their rivals? “I think we’d better,” Panik said. Bumgarner was asked about the Dodgers’ prospects at winning the World Series. “We’re a long way from the World Series,” he said. Yes, we are.

San Jose Mercury News Giants notes: Ryder Jones gets a temporary call-up, but his opportunity is coming soon Andrew Baggarly LOS ANGELES – On the eve of the trade deadline, the Giants welcomed two new players to their clubhouse. No, they didn’t make a trade. And it turns out they didn’t even activate the players. Infielder Ryder Jones and catcher Tim Federowicz arrived from Triple-A Sacramento as insurance that the Giants didn’t end up using. Catcher Nick Hundley passed a concussion test and got through batting practice with no issues two days after taking a foul tip to the mask. And first baseman Brandon Belt is ready to return after missing the previous two games because of a sore left wrist. Belt not only got through BP with no issues, but left-handed practice pitcher John Yandle said it was the best that Belt had ever hit him. Jones might return to Triple-A Sacramento, but he won’t be down there for long. He is blistering the ball for a 419 average over his last eight games (13 for 31), including a home run on Friday and two homers on Saturday. As you might recall, Jones returned to Sacramento after he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist and spent 10 days on the big league disabled list with a contusion. Then, on his first game back with the River Cats on July 18, he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist. “It was in my fourth at-bat,” he said. “They were going to pull me after three atbats, but I asked for one more. I saw it was a lefty coming in and I wanted to see one.” Jones wanted to get over the jitters of facing a lefty, since it was a left-hander – the Pirates’ Felipe Rivero – who put him out of action with an inside pitch on July 1. That didn’t work out so well. At least his second contusion wasn’t nearly as serious. He only missed two games, and then settled into a hot streak in short order. Jones, who went 1 for 21 in his big league stint, said his time with the Giants taught him the importance of quieting down his hands. He eliminated some movement in his swing, rested his bat on his shoulder and widened his stance a bit. “See the ball a split second longer, and go from there,” he said. Jones also has played some right field since returning to Sacramento, in addition to the left field he played earlier in the season. It will be interesting to see if the Giants seek to rest Hunter Pence more often over the final two months as they seek to learn about some of their younger players. Wherever he ends up playing, Jones will get more time in the big leagues this season. Manager Bruce Bochy made that much clear. “At some point, he’ll be getting some at-bats up here,” Bochy said.

— This is a big day for Korean baseball fans. The Giants’ Jae-gyun Hwang will get to face the Dodgers’ Hyun-jin Ryu. They are best friends and have played against each other since they were teenagers. If you missed it on Friday, Hwang was asked what tips he would offer his teammates about competing against Ryu. “Don’t look at the face,” said Hwang, as reporters laughed. MLB Bumgarner aces latest test vs. Dodgers Chris Haft LOS ANGELES -- Madison Bumgarner's performance on Sunday night didn't need to be qualified, just admired. Bumgarner blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers on five hits through seven innings, striking out seven and walking one in the Giants' 3-2 extra-innings loss. This was not merely Bumgarner at his best since his April 20 dirt-bike accident. This was not simply Bumgarner meeting the challenge of facing the ultra-elite Dodgers. This was Bumgarner excelling, period. "Everything was crisp," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Bumgarner's array of pitches, which were so effective that the Dodgers advanced just two runners into scoring position against him. Bumgarner particularly appreciated his surroundings. Why not? He trimmed his career ERA at Dodger Stadium to 2.39 in 16 appearances (15 starts). "It's always fun to pitch here in this environment," Bumgarner said. "The weather's good and for whatever reason, it's one of those places I enjoy throwing at." Bochy did not consider asking Bumgarner to work longer. His spot was due up in the eighth inning and he already had thrown 99 pitches. The Dodgers certainly have seen enough of Bumgarner. Overall against them, he's 14-9 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games to go with 180 strikeouts and 33 walks. Dodgers hitters have mustered a .226 batting average against the Giants' ace. Bumgarner exchanged starts with Matt Cain, who inherited Monday's assignment at the Coliseum against the A's. The Giants said that they wanted to keep Bumgarner on his normal schedule; skeptics believed that the left-hander requested the switch. Bumgarner neither confirmed nor denied anything. "I was good either way," he said. "I wasn't going to turn it down, that's for sure, to get a chance to throw against the Dodgers, especially when they're going as good as they are. Those are the fun games." Fun has been in short supply among the Giants, given their 40-66 record. Bumgarner has reacted to the club's woes the way he responds to most other subjects: stoically.

"I keep saying this every time, but you have to take the good with the bad," said Bumgarner, who has won three World Series championships with the Giants. "We've had a lot of success. You're not going to be successful all the time. It doesn't matter how good you are. That's just the way it is." Improving the Giants' situation, in Bumgarner's view, will require nothing less than a complete reversal. "The only thing that's going to turn it around is winning, obviously," he said. "It's really not a big, complicated equation." MLB Giants dealt sweep after Dodgers rally in 11th Chris Haft and Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Rookie Kyle Farmer's first Major League hit, a two-run double in the 11th inning, delivered the Dodgers a 3-2 comeback win over the Giants on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium to extend their winning streak to eight games and give them their 31st come-from-behind victory this season. The Dodgers called up Farmer on Friday from Triple-A Oklahoma City to give the club an extra bench player. The 26-year-old became the first Dodgers player since Darren Dreifort on May 27, 1994, to have his first career hit be a walk-off knock. "I told him, joking, in like the seventh or eighth inning," said Enrique Hernandez, "I was like 'Dude this game has Kyle Farmer written all over it. You're going to win this game.' And [Farmer] looked at me and said, 'I know.'" Joe Panik had pulled the Giants ahead in the top of the 11th with an RBI single to score Kelby Tomlinson from third base, but the Dodgers answered with two runs to pull off the sweep. Panik was asked how he and the Giants, who trail Los Angeles by 34 1/2 games in the National League West, have coped with such a rough season. "The way you cope is knowing how you have to go back out the next day and give it your all," said Panik. "There's 24 other guys giving everything they've got; You've got a coaching staff doing everything they can to prepare us still. You've got fans who are still so supportive. So you're playing for a lot of reasons." The Dodgers rallied in the ninth behind Chase Utley, who legged out a pinch-hit single and swiped second base, putting Yasiel Puig in position to bring him home with a single to tie the game at 1-1 and send it to extras. Conor Gillaspie broke a scoreless tie with his seventh career pinch-hit homer off Dodgers righty Josh Fields in the eighth. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner and Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu dueled over seven scoreless innings, with both hurlers delivering their best starts of the season. Ryu allowed five hits and struck out seven on 85 pitches. He was able to induce ground balls, which in turn helped produce three of the Dodgers' franchise-record six double plays.

In his fourth start since returning from the disabled list, Bumgarner fanned seven, allowed five hits and issued one walk on 99 pitches. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Don't challenge Kiké: The Giants were in business after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly put Panik at third base. Ryu fired a 79-mph slider to get Brandon Crawford to pop up to center field, right where Hernandez was waiting. Hernandez caught the ball and threw a laser to the plate to gun down Panik, ending the inning and erasing the Giants' scoring threat. Keeping it tight: The Dodgers' defense came up clutch when it needed to throughout the night, but an especially important stop came in the 11th. After the Giants had tacked on a go-ahead run with Panik's RBI single, Hunter Pence followed with a single to put slugger Buster Posey at the plate. But Dodgers righty Pedro Baez was able to get Posey to ground into a double play, keeping the lead at one run. QUOTABLE "I looked out and I saw [Alex] Wood running at me full speed and I didn't know what he was going to do. And then all of a sudden he tackled me, so that's probably the best hit he's had on me in years" -- Farmer, on the Dodgers' celebration "Kyle's going to remember that for a long time. For his family to be here, to get the field stormed on by his teammates, coaches, managers. It was something that was just so special." -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, on Farmer's game-winning hit SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Dodgers have recorded a Major League-best 14 sweeps this season, which is the most the club has logged since 1976. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: More rivalry games await the Giants, who will cross the bay to face Interleague nemesis Oakland in a 7:05 p.m. PT encounter Monday. The Giants may or may not face Oakland ace Sonny Gray, who's on the trading block and could get dealt before the non-waiver Trade Deadline expires at 1 p.m. PT Monday. Matt Cain will pitch for the Giants. The teams will play twice in Oakland, followed by two games in San Francisco. Dodgers: The Dodgers get a day off before heading to Atlanta to face the Braves for a three-game set on Tuesday. Righty Kenta Maeda will get the ball for the 4:35 p.m. PT start. Maeda has had issues on the road, posting a 3-3 record with a 5.65 ERA. MLB Hwang credits Wotus for improving defense Chris Haft LOS ANGELES -- Obtained primarily for his offensive prowess, Giants third baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang lately has distinguished himself on defense, particularly during this weekend's series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For example, Los Angeles had Austin Barnes on first base with one out in the fifth inning of Friday's series opener. Hwang dove to backhand Enrique Hernandez's tricky ground ball, which easily would have

gone for an RBI double had it scooted by. Hwang not only held the runner, but also made a strong throw to first base for an out. Saturday, Hwang moved to first base and used his quick wrists to snap a fifth-inning throw to shortstop Brandon Crawford that started a 3-6-3 double play. Speaking through interpreter Mark Min-Hyung Kim, Hwang atributed much of his improvement to bench coach Ron Wotus, who also supervises San Francisco's infielders. Hwang said that Wotus' tutelage has helped him "create efficiencies" by improving subtleties such as footwork. Wotus also helped Hwang improve his defensive stance. "I used to keep my hands low and relaxed, thinking that keeping my arms relaxed would help me move faster," Hwang said. "Working with Ronnie, I realized that being in an athletic stance, as if I were to run when I'm on base, would be my fastest move." Worth noting • Two players from Triple-A Sacramento, infielder-outfielder Ryder Jones and catcher Tim Federowicz, were on hand to join the Giants' 25-man active roster in case first baseman Brandon Belt (left wrist) or catcher Nick Hundley (possible concussion symptoms) had to be placed on the disabled list. Belt, who missed the previous two games, returned to the lineup on Sunday night against the Dodgers. Hundley did not start. MLB Giants motivated for Bay Bridge Series Alex Simon The Bay Bridge Series between the Giants and A's kicks off Monday in Oakland. There may be no one who has a better perspective on the series than A's manager Bob Melvin, who grew up in Menlo Park, Calif., played college ball at Cal, spent three seasons as a Giants player in the 1980s and has managed the A's since 2011. He said he's looking forward to the matchup. "I love it. I get these questions every year, and I was actually thinking yesterday, 'How can I answer that differently?" Melvin said. "I've been lucky enough to be in this multiple times, and you don't know how long you're going to be able to be part of this. I grew up here, and for these four days, the whole baseball world -- at least the baseball fans in this area -- the spotlight is on that." But while the teams enter the 2017 edition of the rivalry anchored at the bottom of their respective divisions, Melvin said that the records don't matter when the these two teams meet up. "It's a passionate fan base in the Bay Area, they love both of their teams, and it is always spirited," Melvin said. "It takes on a little different dynamic than the other good games that we play during the course of the season."

A's right-hander Sonny Gray is scheduled to start, but could be traded before the non-waiver Trade Deadline at 1 p.m. PT on Monday. Gray has been brilliant in his last six starts, going 4-2 with a 1.37 ERA and a .164 batting average against. For the Giants, right-hander Matt Cain will make his 20th start of the season. Cain has struggled this year, going 3-9 with a 5.45 ERA and only lasting four innings in his last start July 24. But the career-Giant has pitched brilliantly in the Coliseum in his lifetime, allowing just seven earned runs in 39 1/3 innings across six appearances. In his five starts, Cain has pitched at least into the seventh each time, but only has a 1-2 record to show for it. Things to know about this game • Of the current A's, Adam Rosales has the best career numbers against Cain, going 4-for-14 with a homer. • In 29 career games against the A's, Giants catcher Buster Posey is batting .279 with three homers and 16 RBIs. He also has walked more times (12) than he has struck out (10). • A's slugger Khris Davis has torched the Giants in his career, batting .383 with four doubles, two triples, five homers and nine RBIs against them in 47 at-bats. NBC Sports Bay Area Series in Los Angeles shows how wide the gap is between Giants, Dodgers Alex Pavlovic LOS ANGELES — Every win counts the same, but there are times where that celebration feels like something bigger, like a sign of things to come. The Giants rode that vibe for half a decade, and they could do nothing but watch late Sunday night as it engulfed Dodger Stadium. The best team in the National League won on a walk-off double in the bottom of the eleventh inning from a rookie making his MLB debut. Their home ballpark shook before the tying run even reached the plate. The noise was deafening as the Dodgers piled atop Kyle Farmer and ripped his jersey off. In the visiting dugout, the Giants quietly gathered their things and headed for another unhappy flight. They are on a different planet than the Dodgers right now, a fact made blatantly clear over three games this weekend. “Everything is going right for them,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s just the opposite for us.” It’s been that way for four months. The Giants, after a 3-2 loss, are an astounding 34 1/2 games behind the Dodgers. The Giants expect to be quiet before Monday’s trade deadline, keeping the same group intact and hoping to make subtle changes in the offseason. This series made you wonder, though: What’s the point? When will the Giants ever be able to compete with this group of Dodgers again? In the clubhouse, some are surely wondering the same. Heads drooped after the series finale, and guys talked of pressing on and continuing to play hard. But there’s a talent gulf, and it was clear over a weekend of baseball. The Dodgers swept the series without Clayton Kershaw throwing a pitch. They relied on 23-year-old Corey Seager and 22-year-old Cody Bellinger to spark the offense. They will get

better. Other young players filled the box score. Enrique Hernandez, 25, made a throw that kept the Dodgers in the game. Yasiel Puig, still just 26, drove in the tying run in the ninth after a couple of defensive lapses by the Giants. There’s much more on the way. “It is what it is,” Madison Bumgarner said of the deficit. “I try to be a realist. That’s just what it is. I try to keep this thing simple. Come in and try to win today. That’s the only thing that’s going to turn it around, is winning.” In Bumgarner, the Giants at least have heavy artillery to face the other way. He was his old self Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings. Bumgarner said he did not lobby to move up a day and face the Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball. But … “I wasn’t going to turn it down,” he said. “That’s for sure. To get a chance to go against the Dodgers, especially with them going as good as they are, it worked out (well).” Bumgarner once again showed up under the bright lights, and perhaps he represents the best-case scenario. It’s hard to see the Dodgers losing the division next year or anytime soon, but perhaps the Giants can go that old Bumgarner-Wild-Card way once again. They intend to compete in 2018, and that seems the likeliest way. At the moment, it’s hard to even see that happening. For all the good things the Giants did this weekend — even in three losses — they have not been able to carry that intensity over into other series. It’s why they’re 6-7 against the best team in baseball and 34-59 against everyone else. “This is something new for pretty much everybody here,” Joe Panik said of all the losing. It is endless, and it’s often painful. Conor Gillaspie was a step slow getting to Chase Utley’s grounder in the ninth and Sam Dyson didn’t pay attention to Utley at first. Soon he was on second, and soon after that the game was tied. Two innings later, having used Dyson and Hunter Strickland, Bochy turned to Albert Suarez. “I would have gone with Albert every time there,” he said. “He’s throwing well. He had good stuff, hitting 95 (mph). I was confident with him out there. He’s got great poise and good stuff.” It didn’t matter in the end. Farmer’s double ended it, and now the Giants have to figure out how to pick themselves up and be competitive against others. “We better,” Panik said. “We’re blessed to be playing in the major leagues and everyone here has to bring that energy and resiliency. We have to bounce back. We’ve got (56) games left. We need to bring it.” NBC Sports Bay Area Instant Analysis: Five takeaways as Giants get swept by Dodgers in LA Alex Pavlovic LOS ANGELES — The Giants moved Madison Bumgarner up a day to keep him on schedule, but in the clubhouse, coaches were surely also hoping he would bring a spark and prevent a sweep.

Bumgarner did his part. It didn’t matter. The Giants blew a one-run lead in the ninth and again in the 11th. Kyle Farmer, in his big league debut, hit a two-run walk-off double to right to clinch a 3-2 win for the Dodgers. Here are five things to know, if you can stomach it … --- Conor Gillaspie has two hits in the last 11 days and both have been pinch-hit homers. He hit a two-run shot in the ninth inning on July 21 to tie a game. Sunday’s go-ahead blast in the eighth was the seventh pinch-hit homer of Gillaspie’s career. --- On the flip side, Gillaspie opened the door for the ninth-inning comeback. He was slow getting rid of Chase Utley's routine grounder to open the inning and Utley reached safely. He took second by getting a huge jump off Sam Dyson. Yasiel Puig bounced a 3-2 pitch into center to tie the game, and an intentional walk and infield single loaded the bases. Cody Bellinger flied out to end the threat. --- Bumgarner gave up just five hits in seven shutout innings. He struck out seven. He has thrown 25 1/3 innings in his four starts since returning from a shoulder injury. ---- Tomlinson is now 11 for 32 as a pinch-hitter this season. That'll keep you around for a while. --- The Giants tried to put a rally together in the seventh when the first two runners reached. Joe Panik tagged up from second on a deep fly ball to Yasiel Puig and lived to smile about it, but just barely. Panik then tagged up again on Brandon Crawford’s fly ball to center and Kiké Hernandez gunned him down at the plate with a gorgeous throw. Given what the Giants have done on offense, it was the right call by Panik. You tip your cap. Santa Rosa Press Democrat Dodgers rookie stuns Giants in 11th with walk-off, two-run double Tim Liotta LOS ANGELES — Kyle Farmer’s two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to their eighth consecutive win, 3-2 against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers’ 31st comeback victory. The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as they improved to 26-3 at home since June 7. The Dodgers improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and are now 74-31 overall, 41/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby

Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span’s grounder to second. Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig’s single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Cody Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the right field wall. Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, pitching on his 28th birthday, held the Dodgers to five hits over seven innings, striking out seven against one walk in his fourth start since coming off the disabled list after missing 75 games with a shoulder injury suffered in a dirt bike accident. Dodger starter Hyun-Jin Ryu also pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one in his best outing of the season. NOTES Giants right-hander Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for the Giants’ Class-A affiliate in San Jose tonight. First baseman Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out two days, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, manager Bruce Bochy said. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. Dodgers outfielder Andre Either took an extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, manager Dave Roberts said. San Francisco Examiner Giants blow it in series finale against Dodgers Examiner Staff The San Francisco Giants almost did it. They almost beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. Madison Bumgarner threw seven shutout innings on Sunday in the series finale at Dodger Stadium.

He was bolstered by Conor Gillespie, who hit a home run in the eighth inning. Unfortunately for the big lefty, it all unraveled after he left the mound as Sam Dyson allowed the tying run in the ninth. Then, Albert Suarez allowed a bases clearing double to pinch hitter Kyle Farmer and the Giants lost in extra innings, 3-2. It ruined a Joe Panik RBI single in the eleventh. The Farmer single cashed in Corey Seager, who continues to be a thorn in the Giants’ side. The team returns to the Bay Area for a series against the Oakland Athletics next. ESPN Farmer's 2-run double in 11th lifts Dodgers past Giants Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- In a season already filled with so many stirring comebacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to add one that might be their best so far. Kyle Farmer's two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Los Angeles players and coaches stormed the field in an unbridled celebration to congratulate the rookie. "For his family to be here, to have the field stormed by his teammates, coaches, manager, it was something so special," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think our players felt his excitement." Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out in the 11th for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers' ninth walk-off victory and 31st comeback win. "I was just hoping get a good pitch to hit," said Farmer, who had his dad, mom, sister, fiancee and his best friend growing up in the stands all the way to the end. "Watching these guys hit the past three games I've learned a lot. It's fun to watch them. I was just trying to put something in the air, hopefully down the line. I did, just got lucky with a good swing." Despite joining the team just three days earlier, Farmer has quickly become a clubhouse favorite. "He's such a good man. The guys were pulling for him," Roberts said. "For him to be in that spot, we all love moments. Fans, media, players love big moments. Moments that players are going to remember forever, and Kyle's going to remember that moment for a long time, forever." The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as it improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and is now 74-31 overall, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby

Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span's grounder to second. Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. "Everything is going right for them," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Just the opposite from us." Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig's single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the wall in right field. TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Monday night. ... Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out todays, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, Bochy said. Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. ... OF Andre Either took an extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, Roberts said. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Matt Cain will start the opener of a two-game series in Oakland, the first half of a four-game home-and-home set against the A's. Cain carries a personal eight-game losing streak, losing his most recent start, giving up six runs and six hits in four innings against Pittsburgh. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda will start the opener against Atlanta on Tuesday, bringing an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA over his last 14 appearances. He won his most recent start, giving up a run and five hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday. ESPN This is a new one for the Dodgers: 30-up on Giants John Fisher

This is a runaway. Led Division Rival By 30 Games Before end of July Dodgers over Giants 1 (2017) Giants over Dodgers 3 (1904, 1905, 1912) Red Sox over Yankees 1 (1912) Yankees over Red Sox 6 (1906, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932) Cubs over Cardinals 2 (1906, 1907) Cardinals over Cubs None The Los Angeles Dodgers are 33 1/2 games ahead of the Giants in the NL West standings. The Elias Sports Bureau reports that this is the 127th year of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry and this is the first time that the Dodgers had a 30-game lead before the end of July. Things have gone the other way three times, but the last instance was more than 100 years ago. The Giants have built 30-game leads on the Dodgers before the end of July three times – in 1904, 1905 and 1912. As for the other Big Three rivalries in Major League Baseball (Dodgers-Giants, Yankees-Red Sox and Cardinals-Cubs), per Elias, this is only the 13th time one of those teams has been 30 games ahead of its big rival before the end of July. Before the Dodgers did it to the Giants this year, the last time it happened in one of the Big Three rivalries was in 1932, when the Yankees did it to the Red Sox. That was a Yankees team that featured Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and whose World Series triumph over the Cubs included Ruth’s “Called Shot” home run. Still, the Giants are 6-6 against the Dodgers this season. But the Dodgers have another thing going for them. They have a schedule that ranks as the third easiest in baseball the rest of the way. ESPN Olney: Madison Bumgarner might not rediscover his velocity Buster Olney LOS ANGELES -- This season has been a disaster for the San Francisco Giants, and if a bounce back is in the cards for 2018, it has to be rooted in improved performance from some of their more established players. Brandon Crawford, their long-term shortstop, has an OPS under .700, and he has to hit better. First baseman Brandon Belt mans a power position and will enjoy a huge increase in salary -- from $8.8 million this year to $17.2 million in 2018 and each of the three years that follow -- and the Giants desperately need more production from him. Then there’s Madison Bumgarner, whose motorbike accident cost him three months of this season. The ace threw more than 200 innings in each of the past six seasons but has just 45 ⅓ so far in 2017. He and the Giants are still learning more about what he is, and what he is capable of, in the aftermath of his tumble off the bike. San Francisco juggled its rotation and Bumgarner will pitch against the Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball.

In three starts since being reactivated from the disabled list, Bumgarner’s results are good, if unspectacular: A 3.93 ERA in 18 ⅓ innings with four walks and 14 strikeouts. He has held opposing hitters to a .225 batting average while allowing four homers. Bumgarner’s velocity has also been down to some of the lowest readings of his career. In his final outing before the accident, he averaged 92.1 mph with his fastball (April 19 vs. Royals). Here are his average readings in the three starts since he returned, per FanGraphs: July 15: 89.7 mph July 20: 90.4 mph July 25: 90.4 mph It’s too early to interpret the diminishment in velocity. It could be that, much like a pitcher working his way through spring training, Bumgarner is still in the process of building velocity. That’s something that the Giants saw from him in March, when sluggish readings early in the month eventually got better. Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti also acknowledged another possibility Saturday: The 27-year-old, who has logged more than 1,500 innings in his career, is simply not going to throw as hard as he used to -- maybe because of natural wear and tear, maybe partly because of the April accident. “It was a serious injury,” Righetti said. But Bumgarner is certainly capable of working through that, because his past excellence was never constructed on high velocity. Rather, he became arguably the greatest postseason pitcher ever with a full mix of pitches augmented by the way he hides the ball in his delivery, by his crossfire motion and, of course, by his competitive edge that is legendary among rival evaluators. The day after Bumgarner’s shutout of the Mets in last year’s National League wild-card game, an executive with another team marveled at his confidence and ability to execute. “He was just not going to lose that game,” the evaluator said. “He was just not going to allow them to beat him.” Bumgarner has a 2.11 ERA in 16 postseason games, including a series of performances in San Francisco’s 2014 championship run that might never be matched in the modern era. But as he works his way back from his injury, he seems to still be sorting through adjustments. Coming into the season, Bumgarner focused on improving his changeup, a pitch that naturally complements the cutter that he has run inside to right-handed hitters. And since coming off the disabled list, he has thrown a higher percentage of changeups. But his curveball, an increasingly important pitch for him in recent seasons, has not been as sharp in his July outings; and he’s not throwing it nearly as much as he tries to refine it. As the Giants try to figure out how to retool for next year, they’ll probably have little payroll flexibility to affect change. The salary increases for Belt and Crawford will eat up a lot of the savings from Matt Cain's expiring contract. And with Johnny Cueto slogging through one of the worst seasons of his career, it might be unlikely that he’ll opt out of his contract. Sam Dyson has been outstanding since being picked up from the Rangers earlier this season, and it might be that between him, Mark Melancon and Will Smith (who is expected to return early in 2018), the Giants could have the makings of a good bullpen.

They should also have a full season from Bumgarner next year. Whether that means the preaccident Bumgarner or postaccident Bumgarner, the Giants don’t know. And they might not know until next year, once he has more time to try to rediscover his velocity and curveball. Pace of play The players' association and Major League Baseball have scheduled in August their first discussion about pace of action, and right away, those in the room will probably have a good sense of whether it will result in a rules collaboration or a teeth-pulling negotiation, similar to what collective-bargaining agreement discussions devolved into last fall. The players will have the opportunity to help steer the upcoming rules changes, and, hopefully, their leadership will come to the table with lots of creative ideas and input from union members. That’s what is needed, and it’s the best that the players can aim for, at this stage. Look, one way or another, there is going to be major change for the 2018 season. Because of a clause in the CBA -- negotiated long before anyone was concerned about pace of action -- MLB will have the power to unilaterally alter rules during the coming offseason. So, the union has a choice: It can either entrench and passive aggressively resist the ideas that MLB will suggest, whether it be a pitch clock, a regulation on how many times catchers can visit the mound, or a rule about hitters and pitchers stepping away from the batter’s box or pitching rubber, respectively. Or the union can jump into the conversations constructively and offer suggestions that will have a meaningful impact in an attempt to create a product closer to what the players want. What the players should not do is wait; they should not dally, which is what happened in the CBA talks. Those negotiations stalled seemingly as part of a union strategy, and when the owners threatened to lock out the players at the 24th hour, the two sides slammed through a whole lot of details in a very small window of time. It was just in the past week that the teams received a printed accounting of the CBA, with more examples of what many agents feared -- that the union lost a lot of ground that had been won in past talks. For example: J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reported last week about how big spenders could be penalized in the draft process; one more drag, among others, on teams that have traditionally been big spenders. Some agents -- and some team executives, for that matter -- view the new CBA terms as so draconian that they effectively serve as a hard salary cap. The players really have nothing to lose in getting into a room with MLB executives and exchanging ideas, pitching suggestions; they could be well-served for it. But if they wait and the clock runs out, they run an increased risk of losing in talks again and being left with changes they don’t like. Where Baltimore’s priorities are vs. where they should be Two years ago, the San Diego Padres befuddled the rest of the industry by holding on to tradable assets through the deadline despite having less than a 5 percent chance of making the postseason. Rather than proactively looking to move assets and reduce the cost of a lost season, they hung on to players they could’ve traded, sacrificing money and at least some value in the process. The Orioles seem to be going down the same path this season, and on Friday, they executed a strange trade. With the team’s playoff chances standing at less than 3 percent, according to FanGraphs,

Baltimore traded for Jeremy Hellickson, a veteran starting pitcher who hasn’t had good results this year and is headed into free agency in the fall. In order to facilitate that deal that would only seemingly help the Orioles in a season that’s already lost, Baltimore traded Double-A left-hander Garrett Cleavinger, who does not have to be added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster until after 2018 (giving him another year to develop before Philadelphia has to make a decision on him) and future international-signing-bonus dollars. The salary of the veterans exchanged in the deal was basically a wash, so the Orioles swapped future assets to try to augment this year’s team, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. It also appears to be a lock that the deadline will come and go without Baltimore having seriously weighed the trade value of some of its veterans who will be headed into free agency over the next 16 months: Manny Machado, Adam Jones and perhaps Zach Britton (although some teams are holding out hope the O’s move Britton). The organization continues to drift toward that time next year when star-level talent might walk out the door without the O’s recouping the desperately needed influx of young talent. In recent conversation with an executive, I mentioned that the Orioles seemed to be like the Titanic -- drifting toward an iceberg that looms. “Drifting?” the executive responded incredulously. “They’re accelerating.” For the sake of the organization beyond 2018, the Orioles are in desperate need of rebuilding. Earlier in the season, Machado spoke with Tim Keown for an ESPN The Magazine cover story. Here’s the podcast generated from his reporting. Around the League The Dodgers’ Logan Forsythe has been impressed with the perfectionism of shortstop Corey Seager, including how Seager works to reduce the inefficiency in his throwing motion so that he can release the ball as quickly as possible. Austin Barnes was a second baseman at Arizona State as a freshman. When the Sun Devils lost their backup catcher to injury, Pat Murphy asked Barnes to catch on the side. Barnes embraced the idea because he figured it would give him a better chance to play in that first year -- and in time, after a summer catching in Alaska, he came to really like the position and the emotional investment in every pitch. Barnes might be the fastest catcher in the big leagues: He has five steals in 97 games. A focus for the Giants this winter will be adding a power hitter. This year, the Giants have been outhomered 117-81. Baseball Tonight Podcast With the induction ceremonies in Cooperstown this weekend, we had plenty of Hall of Fame conversation on the most recent episodes. Jeff Bagwell: The 2017 Hall of Fame inductee discusses his career and tells stories about the day he was traded for Larry Anderson, Ken Caminiti Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn and others.

Class of 2017: Baseball greats offer thoughts about this year’s Hall of Fame class, plus a re-air of our conversation with Tim Raines. A League of Her Own: A podcast feature on longtime writer Claire Smith, winner of this year’s Spink Award in Cooperstown. Friday: Karl Ravech and Paul Hembekides on David Price; Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times on Clayton Kershaw, the team’s interest in Yu Darvish and the excellence of the team in 2017. Thursday: Keith Law on why small sample size matters this time of year; Jessica Mendoza on Chris Taylor; Bob Nightengale on trade talk. Wednesday: A conversation with the Royals’ Eric Hosmer; Tim Kurkjian on the asking price for Darvish; John Fisher on what teams would be buying in Britton and Justin Verlander. Tuesday: Boog Sciambi on Kershaw; Sarah Langs with The Numbers Game; Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe on Price and Dennis Eckersley, and what needs to happen next. Monday: A conversation with Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong; Jerry Crasnick and trade talk; and Todd Radom’s uniform and logo quiz. And today will be better than yesterday. Fox Sports Giants, A’s set for annual Bay Bridge Series (Jul 31, 2017) OAKLAND, Calif. — Not much is going right for the Oakland Athletics or the San Francisco Giants this season. The A’s are buried in last place in the American League West, while the Giants dwell in the cellar of the National League West. That doesn’t mean A’s manager Bob Melvin is any less excited about the upcoming four-game, home-and-home interleague series between Oakland and San Francisco, which opens Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum. As a Bay Area native who played three years for the San Francisco Giants and has managed the A’s for seven seasons, Melvin loves the annual Bay Bridge Series. “I’m lucky enough to be in this multiple times, and you don’t know how long you’re going to be able to be part of this,” Melvin said Sunday. “And when you grow up here, these four days, the whole baseball world, at least baseball fans in this area, the spotlight is on that. “Both teams aren’t doing too terribly well this year, but that changes for this series because it’s a passionate fan base here in the Bay Area. They love both their teams and it is always spirited, not only in the field but in the stands. So it takes on a little different dynamic than the other games we play during the course of the season.”

A’s rookie third baseman Matt Chapman grew up in Southern California watching the Angels and Dodgers play their annual interleague series. This will be his first regular-season taste of the A’s-Giants rivalry. “It’s definitely always a heated battle between (the Angels and Dodgers), kind of just like the Bay series with the Giants and A’s, kind of fighting for the home turf in a sense,” he said. “For me I’m just looking forward to kind of seeing the atmosphere. “I think Southern California is a little more laid back with their sports. There’s a rivalry there, but the one up here is definitely a little more intense.” The A’s list right-hander Sonny Gray (6-5, 3.43 ERA) as their probable pitcher for Monday, but he might be traded before the 4 p.m. EDT non-waiver trade deadline. Multiple teams, including the New York Yankees, reportedly have expressed interest in acquiring Gray. If Gray is traded, then rookie Paul Blackburn (1-1, 2.25 ERA), a Bay Area native born in Antioch, Calif., likely would start. Gray is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against the Giants. Veteran Matt Cain (3-9, 5.45 ERA) is slated to make his 20th start and 21st appearance of the season for the Giants. Cain is no stranger to the Bay Area baseball rivalry. He is 4-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, against the A’s. In six games, including five starts, at the Coliseum, he is 1-2 with a 1.60 ERA. In his most recent start, on July 24 at AT&T Park, he gave up six runs, but only two earned, on six hits over four innings in a 10-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out one, walked one and gave up a three-run homer to Andrew McCutchen in the second inning. Cain has lost eight straight decisions, matching his career high. The A’s will come into the game with some momentum after back-to-back walk-off wins against the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum. Rajai Davis hit a two-run, game-ending homer in the ninth inning Saturday in a 5-4 victory, and Yonder Alonso hit a solo homer in the 12th inning Sunday to produce a 6-5 win. The Giants were swept three games by the Dodgers, who managed a 3-2, 11-inning walk-off win Sunday night in Los Angeles. Pinch hitter Kyle Farmer, making his major league debut, hit a two-run double down the right field line off Giants right-hander Albert Suarez to end it. San Francisco wasted a gem by Madison Bumgarner, who pitched seven shutout innings. “So many good things happened tonight, which is what makes it so tough,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “This team really fought. It is unbelievable the way things have gone for us. We play hard and to lose like this. “Guy in his first major league at-bat hits it down the line. Everything goes right for the Dodgers and everything goes bad for us.”

Yahoo Sports Giants, A's set for annual Bay Bridge Series Stats OAKLAND, Calif. -- Not much is going right for the Oakland Athletics or the San Francisco Giants this season. The A's are buried in last place in the American League West, while the Giants dwell in the cellar of the National League West. That doesn't mean A's manager Bob Melvin is any less excited about the upcoming four-game, home-and-home interleague series between Oakland and San Francisco, which opens Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum. As a Bay Area native who played three years for the San Francisco Giants and has managed the A's for seven seasons, Melvin loves the annual Bay Bridge Series. "I'm lucky enough to be in this multiple times, and you don't know how long you're going to be able to be part of this," Melvin said Sunday. "And when you grow up here, these four days, the whole baseball world, at least baseball fans in this area, the spotlight is on that. "Both teams aren't doing too terribly well this year, but that changes for this series because it's a passionate fan base here in the Bay Area. They love both their teams and it is always spirited, not only in the field but in the stands. So it takes on a little different dynamic than the other games we play during the course of the season." A's rookie third baseman Matt Chapman grew up in Southern California watching the Angels and Dodgers play their annual interleague series. This will be his first regular-season taste of the A's-Giants rivalry. "It's definitely always a heated battle between (the Angels and Dodgers), kind of just like the Bay series with the Giants and A's, kind of fighting for the home turf in a sense," he said. "For me I'm just looking forward to kind of seeing the atmosphere. "I think Southern California is a little more laid back with their sports. There's a rivalry there, but the one up here is definitely a little more intense." The A's list right-hander Sonny Gray (6-5, 3.43 ERA) as their probable pitcher for Monday, but he might be traded before the 4 p.m. EDT non-waiver trade deadline. Multiple teams, including the New York Yankees, reportedly have expressed interest in acquiring Gray. If Gray is traded, then rookie Paul Blackburn (1-1, 2.25 ERA), a Bay Area native born in Antioch, Calif., likely would start. Gray is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against the Giants.

Veteran Matt Cain (3-9, 5.45 ERA) is slated to make his 20th start and 21st appearance of the season for the Giants. Cain is no stranger to the Bay Area baseball rivalry. He is 4-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, against the A's. In six games, including five starts, at the Coliseum, he is 1-2 with a 1.60 ERA. In his most recent start, on July 24 at AT&T Park, he gave up six runs, but only two earned, on six hits over four innings in a 10-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out one, walked one and gave up a three-run homer to Andrew McCutchen in the second inning. Cain has lost eight straight decisions, matching his career high. The A's will come into the game with some momentum after back-to-back walk-off wins against the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum. Rajai Davis hit a two-run, game-ending homer in the ninth inning Saturday in a 5-4 victory, and Yonder Alonso hit a solo homer in the 12th inning Sunday to produce a 6-5 win. The Giants were swept three games by the Dodgers, who managed a 3-2, 11-inning walk-off win Sunday night in Los Angeles. Pinch hitter Kyle Farmer, making his major league debut, hit a two-run double down the right field line off Giants right-hander Albert Suarez to end it. San Francisco wasted a gem by Madison Bumgarner, who pitched seven shutout innings. "So many good things happened tonight, which is what makes it so tough," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "This team really fought. It is unbelievable the way things have gone for us. We play hard and to lose like this. "Guy in his first major league at-bat hits it down the line. Everything goes right for the Dodgers and everything goes bad for us." Yahoo Sports Farmer's 2-run double in 11th lifts Dodgers past Giants Tim Liotta LOS ANGELES (AP) -- In a season already filled with so many stirring comebacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to add one that might be their best so far. Kyle Farmer's two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Los Angeles players and coaches stormed the field in an unbridled celebration to congratulate the rookie. ''For his family to be here, to have the field stormed by his teammates, coaches, manager, it was something so special,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ''I think our players felt his excitement.'' Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out in the 11th for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers' ninth walk-off victory and 31st comeback win.

''I was just hoping get a good pitch to hit,'' said Farmer, who had his dad, mom, sister, fiancee and his best friend growing up in the stands all the way to the end. ''Watching these guys hit the past three games I've learned a lot. It's fun to watch them. I was just trying to put something in the air, hopefully down the line. I did, just got lucky with a good swing.'' Despite joining the team just three days earlier, Farmer has quickly become a clubhouse favorite. ''He's such a good man. The guys were pulling for him,'' Roberts said. ''For him to be in that spot, we all love moments. Fans, media, players love big moments. Moments that players are going to remember forever, and Kyle's going to remember that moment for a long time, forever.'' The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as it improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and is now 74-31 overall, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span's grounder to second. Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. ''Everything is going right for them,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''Just the opposite from us.'' Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig's single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the wall in right field. TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Monday night. ... Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out todays, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, Bochy said. Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. ... OF Andre Either took an

extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, Roberts said. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Matt Cain will start the opener of a two-game series in Oakland, the first half of a four-game home-and-home set against the A's. Cain carries a personal eight-game losing streak, losing his most recent start, giving up six runs and six hits in four innings against Pittsburgh. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda will start the opener against Atlanta on Tuesday, bringing an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA over his last 14 appearances. He won his most recent start, giving up a run and five hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday. CBS Sports Giants' Conor Gillaspie: Homers off bench Sunday RotoWire Staff Gillaspie went 1-for-2 with a pinch-hit home run in a loss to the Dodgers on Sunday. The 30-year-old didn't start with the left-handed Hyun-Jin Ryu on the mound, but he left his mark once the Dodgers turned to their bullpen. Gillaspie has been splitting time at the hot corner with Jae-Gyun Hwang following the trade of Eduardo Nunez, but his .171/.229/.303 leaves much to be desired even if he is on the favorable side of a platoon. CBS Sports Giants' Joe Panik: Collects three hits Sunday RotoWire Staff Panik went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers. The 26-year-old had been slumping over his previous 10 contests (6-for-40), so Sunday's three-hit outburst could be a sign that he is turning things around at the plate. Panik has taken over for Eduardo Nunez (trade) batting second in the order, but the Giants' anemic offense may not afford him as many scoring opportunities as traditional two-hole hitters. The second baseman's pedestrian .267/.322/.396 triple slash limits his value to deep and NL-only formats. CBS Sports Giants' Sam Dyson: Blows save Sunday RotoWire Staff Dyson allowed one earned run on three hits in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday against the Dodgers, blowing the save. The former Ranger had converted his first six save opportunities with San Francisco, but a pair of singles by Chase Utley and Yasiel Puig quickly put an end to the streak. Despite carrying moderate fantasy value thanks to his current closing role, Dyson's terrible 6.32 ERA and bloated 1.89 WHIP put him in the bottom of the barrel of baseball's closers.

CBS Sports Giants' Madison Bumgarner: Shuts down Dodgers in no-decision RotoWire Staff Bumgarner didn't allow a run on five hits while striking out seven over seven innings against the Dodgers on Sunday. He walked one in the no-decision. Both he and Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed seven innings of shutout ball, so it's a shame neither of them factored into the decision. Despite only having one victory (and four losses) in an injury-shortened campaign, Bumgarner has reduced his ERA to 2.92 to go with a 1.05 WHIP -- numbers that are slightly better than his career average of 3.00 and 1.10 -- so the North Carolina native should be able to reel in a few wins soon enough. CBS Sports Giants' Nick Hundley: Dealing with headache following foul tip off mask RotoWire Staff Hundley passed all concussion tests but is still day-to-day after taking a foul ball off his catcher's mask Friday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Hundley was reportedly going to catch Saturday night's game as well while Brandon Belt was sidelined, but his headache was bad enough that he was kept on the bench. It seems like there aren't any major issues in play here, although the Giants do have a catcher from the minor leagues with the team in case Hundley needs a DL stint. Consider him day-to-day for now. CBS Sports Giants, A's set for annual Bay Bridge Series Stats OAKLAND, Calif. -- Not much is going right for the Oakland Athletics or the San Francisco Giants this season. The A's are buried in last place in the American League West, while the Giants dwell in the cellar of the National League West. That doesn't mean A's manager Bob Melvin is any less excited about the upcoming four-game, home-and-home interleague series between Oakland and San Francisco, which opens Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum. As a Bay Area native who played three years for the San Francisco Giants and has managed the A's for seven seasons, Melvin loves the annual Bay Bridge Series. "I'm lucky enough to be in this multiple times, and you don't know how long you're going to be able to be part of this," Melvin said Sunday. "And when you grow up here, these four days, the whole baseball world, at least baseball fans in this area, the spotlight is on that. "Both teams aren't doing too terribly well this year, but that changes for this series because it's a passionate fan base here in the Bay Area. They love both their teams and it is always spirited, not only in

the field but in the stands. So it takes on a little different dynamic than the other games we play during the course of the season." A's rookie third baseman Matt Chapman grew up in Southern California watching the Angels and Dodgers play their annual interleague series. This will be his first regular-season taste of the A's-Giants rivalry. "It's definitely always a heated battle between (the Angels and Dodgers), kind of just like the Bay series with the Giants and A's, kind of fighting for the home turf in a sense," he said. "For me I'm just looking forward to kind of seeing the atmosphere. "I think Southern California is a little more laid back with their sports. There's a rivalry there, but the one up here is definitely a little more intense." The A's list right-hander Sonny Gray (6-5, 3.43 ERA) as their probable pitcher for Monday, but he might be traded before the 4 p.m. EDT non-waiver trade deadline. Multiple teams, including the New York Yankees, reportedly have expressed interest in acquiring Gray. If Gray is traded, then rookie Paul Blackburn (1-1, 2.25 ERA), a Bay Area native born in Antioch, Calif., likely would start. Gray is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against the Giants. Veteran Matt Cain (3-9, 5.45 ERA) is slated to make his 20th start and 21st appearance of the season for the Giants. Cain is no stranger to the Bay Area baseball rivalry. He is 4-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, against the A's. In six games, including five starts, at the Coliseum, he is 1-2 with a 1.60 ERA. In his most recent start, on July 24 at AT&T Park, he gave up six runs, but only two earned, on six hits over four innings in a 10-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out one, walked one and gave up a three-run homer to Andrew McCutchen in the second inning. Cain has lost eight straight decisions, matching his career high. The A's will come into the game with some momentum after back-to-back walk-off wins against the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum. Rajai Davis hit a two-run, game-ending homer in the ninth inning Saturday in a 5-4 victory, and Yonder Alonso hit a solo homer in the 12th inning Sunday to produce a 6-5 win. The Giants were swept three games by the Dodgers, who managed a 3-2, 11-inning walk-off win Sunday night in Los Angeles. Pinch hitter Kyle Farmer, making his major league debut, hit a two-run double down the right field line off Giants right-hander Albert Suarez to end it. San Francisco wasted a gem by Madison Bumgarner, who pitched seven shutout innings. "So many good things happened tonight, which is what makes it so tough," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "This team really fought. It is unbelievable the way things have gone for us. We play hard and to lose like this.

"Guy in his first major league at-bat hits it down the line. Everything goes right for the Dodgers and everything goes bad for us." USA Today Kyle Farmer's first career hit gives Dodgers walk-off win over Giants Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a season already filled with so many stirring comebacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to add one that might be their best so far. Kyle Farmer’s two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Los Angeles players and coaches stormed the field in an unbridled celebration to congratulate the rookie. “For his family to be here, to have the field stormed by his teammates, coaches, manager, it was something so special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think our players felt his excitement.” Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out in the 11th for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers’ ninth walk-off victory and 31st comeback win. “I was just hoping get a good pitch to hit,” said Farmer, who had his dad, mom, sister, fiancee and his best friend growing up in the stands all the way to the end. “Watching these guys hit the past three games I’ve learned a lot. It’s fun to watch them. I was just trying to put something in the air, hopefully down the line. I did, just got lucky with a good swing.” Despite joining the team just three days earlier, Farmer has quickly become a clubhouse favorite. “He’s such a good man. The guys were pulling for him,” Roberts said. “For him to be in that spot, we all love moments. Fans, media, players love big moments. Moments that players are going to remember forever, and Kyle’s going to remember that moment for a long time, forever.” The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as it improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and is now 74-31 overall, 4½ games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span’s grounder to second. Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. “Everything is going right for them,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just the opposite from us.” MORE:

Oh, the humanity: Pudge, Bagwell, Raines recall a more personal era in Hall of Fame induction Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre joins exclusive 3,000 hit club Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig’s single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the wall in right field. TRAINER’S ROOM Giants: RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. … RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Monday night. … Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out todays, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, Bochy said. Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. … OF Andre Either took an extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, Roberts said. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Matt Cain will start the opener of a two-game series in Oakland, the first half of a four-game home-and-home set against the A’s. Cain carries a personal eight-game losing streak, losing his most recent start, giving up six runs and six hits in four innings against Pittsburgh. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda will start the opener against Atlanta on Tuesday, bringing an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA over his last 14 appearances. He won his most recent start, giving up a run and five hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday. When The Giants Come to Town Game Wrap 7/30/2017: Dodgers 3 Giants 2 If ever there was a microcosm of the season in one game, this was it: An outstanding start from Madison Bumgarner, an impotent offense that got 2 leads in spite of itself, not one but 2 Blown Saves. In the end, the Giants simply ran out of bullets against an army with more firepower. Key Lines: Joe Panik 2B- 3 for 5. BA= .267. In his first two seasons, Joe Panik's BABIPs were .330 and .345. He slumped to an unsustainably low .245 last season. His 3 singles tonight raised his 2017 BABIP to .281

which is still lower than his needs to be to be a successful MLB hitter. At what point do the Giants stop waiting for his BABIP to normalize to a mean? Conor Gillaspie PH/3B- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .171. Gillaspie appeared to put the Giants into a position to win the game with his PH HR in the 7'th, but it was his double clutch on a bouncer by leadoff batter Chase Utley in the top of the 9'th that led to the Dodgers tying it up and sending it to extra innings. Kelby Tomlinson PH- 1 for 1, SB(6). BA= .250. Pinch-hitting is a tough gig but Kelby seems to be comfortable with it and came through again. His base hit and SB set up the go-ahead run that was unfortunately erased in the bottom of the inning. Madison Bumgarner LHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 2.92. Remember that nothing that happens this year is going to make any difference at all except for where the Giants draft in 2018. What's important from this start is Bummy is apparently 100%+ recovered from his shoulder sprain which is essential for the Giants to have a chance to turn this around next season. Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 6.32. The run was not entirely Dyson's fault as a good defensive 3B would have thrown out Utley leading off the 9'th inning. Once Utley was on base, though, Dyson did a terrible job of holding him at 1B and the SB set up the tying run. That SB forced Dyson out of his rhythm which nearly caused him to lose the game right there in the 9'th inning. Albert Suarez RHP- 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 4.15. Suarez is not a closer and never will be. He's an innings eater and it showed. Bochy did not have great alternatives. Kontos and Osich are gas cans right now. Personally I would like to have seen Cricky get the call here, but I can understand why the Giants might not think he is ready for a Save situation in Dodger Stadium. ********************************************************************************* The Giants come back to the Bay Area for a cross-bay interleague series against the A's with Matt Cain taking on Sonny Gray, if Gray is still wearing an Athletics uniform by game time. ABC 7 Farmer's 2-run double in 11th lifts Dodgers past Giants LOS ANGELES -- In a season already filled with so many stirring comebacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to add one that might be their best so far. Kyle Farmer's two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Los Angeles players and coaches stormed the field in an unbridled celebration to congratulate the rookie. "For his family to be here, to have the field stormed by his teammates, coaches, manager, it was something so special," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think our players felt his excitement." Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out in the 11th for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers' ninth walk-off victory and 31st comeback win.

"I was just hoping get a good pitch to hit," said Farmer, who had his dad, mom, sister, fiancee and his best friend growing up in the stands all the way to the end. "Watching these guys hit the past three games I've learned a lot. It's fun to watch them. I was just trying to put something in the air, hopefully down the line. I did, just got lucky with a good swing." Despite joining the team just three days earlier, Farmer has quickly become a clubhouse favorite. "He's such a good man. The guys were pulling for him," Roberts said. "For him to be in that spot, we all love moments. Fans, media, players love big moments. Moments that players are going to remember forever, and Kyle's going to remember that moment for a long time, forever." The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as it improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and is now 74-31 overall, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span's grounder to second. Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. "Everything is going right for them," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Just the opposite from us." Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig's single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the wall in right field. TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Monday night. ... Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out todays, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, Bochy said. Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. ... OF Andre Either took an

extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, Roberts said. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Matt Cain will start the opener of a two-game series in Oakland, the first half of a four-game home-and-home set against the A's. Cain carries a personal eight-game losing streak, losing his most recent start, giving up six runs and six hits in four innings against Pittsburgh. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda will start the opener against Atlanta on Tuesday, bringing an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA over his last 14 appearances. He won his most recent start, giving up a run and five hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday. Around the Foghorn Bumgarner Does Bumgarner Things in Giants Loss Michael Saltzman Madison Bumgarner did not get the win, but he did dominate in a San Francisco Giants loss, 3-2 in 11 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a lost season, it’s important to take advantage of the games that are left to prepare for 2018 and the Giants ace did just that tonight. Bumgarner went seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one to lower his ERA to 2.92 on the season. MadBum also got a base hit off Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, one of only five hits allowed by the LA left hander. Ryu also went seven scoreless for Los Angeles. Conor Gillaspie began the top of the eighth with a pinch hit home run off of Josh Fields to give the Giants the lead 1-0. However Sam Dyson allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it and send the game to extra innings. Kelby Tomlinson began the 11th inning with a single. He then stole second and was stealing third a few pitches later when Denard Span rolled a ground ball to the right side of the infield. That put a runner at third base with one out for Joe Panik, who hit the ball back up the middle with the infield brought in to give the Giants the lead. Albert Suarez came on in the bottom of the 11th, facing the top of the order for the Dodgers. Suarez had spent most of the year in Arizona on the disabled list. The Giants biggest downfall in 2017 has been the combination of their best players not playing to expectations and their lack of depth to make up for injured players. Suarez had been a good middle relief and long relief pitcher for the Giants last season. However, after giving up a double to Corey Seager and an intentional walk to Justin Turner, rookie Kyle Farmer roped the game winning double down the right field line to win the game for the Dodgers. Despite the Giants blowing two leads to get swept by the rival Dodgers, Bumgarner dominating one of the best lineups in the game is still important as the Giants prepare for the future. Games Notes:

Buster Posey and Chase Utley both stole a base tonight. No need for anything else here. Giants take on the Oakland Athletics tomorrow as Matt Cain faces Sonny Gray. Gray, who has been in trade rumors all week, is still scheduled to start as of tonight. SF Gate Giants could have a quiet trade deadline Henry Schulman LOS ANGELES - Eduardo Nuñez played his second game with the Red Sox on Saturday night and hit two home runs in a 9-8 victory against the Royals, which ended on his RBI groundball. As a Giant, Nuñez hit just eight homers in 484 at-bats with the Giants. "We've got to let Carl (Kochan), our strength coach know that," manager Bruce Bochy joked. The Giants had hoped the Nuñez deal would be just the start, but it could be the end, at least before Monday's 1 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline. Throughout the day Sunday the Giants did not appear close to any deals. Last-minute trades happen. The Giants already finished their leg work on potential acquisitions in the majors and minors, so they could swing a deal quickly if one arose. But the Giants' problem is two-fold: a lot more sellers than buyers (with the Twins joining the sellers list Friday) and a market focused on front-end starters and back-end relievers. Johnny Cueto might have been part of the former, along with Oakland's Sonny Gray and Texas' Yu Darvish, had he not developed lingering blisters. In the bullpen, Sam Dyson has made himself attractive with his shutdown work for the Giants, but there were no indications the Giants were shopping him. One source suggested the Giants bullpen will remain intact Monday. But nobody can predict how things will swing in the final hours if teams that lose out on closers turn pivot to setup men (such as Hunter Strickland) as secondary targets. If the Giants want to swing a bigger trade that helps reshape their roster for 2018 and beyond, they might need to wait until the winter, when far more teams are involved. Taxi squad: The Giants brought Triple-A catcher Tim Federowicz and infielder/outfielder Ryder Jones to Los Angeles in case they needed to place Nick Hundley (concussion symptoms) or Brandon Belt (wrist sprain) on the DL. But Hundley passed a concussion protocol and Belt reported enough improvement in his wrist to get back into the lineup Sunday. Jones got hot in Sacramento after he was optioned. He got hit on his right hand in his first game back, missed two games, then went 13-for-33 in his next eight. He hit one homer Friday night and two more Saturday. Bochy said Jones will get more big-league at-bats this year, if not this week. The 23-year-old has been playing right field for the Rivercats, a new position.

"It's the same as left, just a different angle," Jones said. "I've felt pretty comfortable in the outfield of late, for sure." Sorrow: First-base coach Jose Alguacil is in mourning after his 88-year-old grandmother died in Venezuela on Saturday. He told a harrowing tale Sunday. Unrest in the streets tied to a national election prevented the funeral home from coming to get his grandmother from his mother's house. Alguacil would have gone to Venezuela to be with his mom, but he just mailed his passport back to get it renewed. He wants to bring his mom on the United States, but getting a visa will be difficult in the current climate. New guy: Shaun Anderson, one of the pitchers acquired in the Nuñez deal, made his San Jose Giants debut on Friday and allowed five runs (three earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He retired 10 of his first 11 hitters, the other reaching on an error, before the fourth inning got away from him. ... Mark Melancon is expected to pitch the first inning for Sacramento on Sunday evening in his first rehab game. The New Orleans starter is former Giant Mike Kickham. ... ESPN is considering another Dodgers-Giants game in Los Angeles for “Sunday Night Baseball.” It would be Sept. 24. Sunday’s game: Madison Bumgarner seeks his first win at Dodger Stadium since April, 2015. Yasiel Puig is hitting eighth for the Dodgers. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. McCovey Chronicles The Giants struggled valiantly against their rivals, but I regret to inform you that they were unsuccessful, and they lost in front of the world, wondering what they could have done differently Grant Bisbee With one out and two runners on base in the top of the 11th inning, Buster Posey grounded into a double play. He had a 1-0 count, and he was looking fastball, I’d reckon. He got a fastball. It was down the middle of the plate. With one out and two runners on base in the bottom of the 11th inning, Kyle Farmer, a backup catcher making his major-league debut, hit a game-winning double. He had two strikes, and he had to protect against anything. He got a 96-mph fastball off the plate. It’s too easy to draw perfect parallels about from those two at-bats — the Dodgers won because they’re better at baseball, for the most part — but that comparison is so 2017. The Giants had their best player at the plate, looking to add on. The Dodgers had the 47th player on their depth chart up, looking to stay alive. The Dodgers won. The Giants lost. This is how it will be, apparently. This is how it will be. The Giants blew two saves in this game. The first one was blown by Sam Dyson, who was forcibly removed from another team’s roster because he was so bad at saving games. The second one was blown by Albert Suarez, who was voted Most Likely To Be Designated For Assignment by me for the last five months, just because he wasn’t pitching. I don’t have any special enmity toward either of them — they’re both pitchers who can fill a role on a decent team, and they’re probably overextended trying to save a one-run lead against what’s apparently the best team of the last 100 years, give or take. It’s just funny that a year after the great

bullpen apocalypse, the Giants are relying on retreads and minor-league free agents to save one-run games against their blood rivals. It’s super funny. Can’t express how hard I’m laughing with each keystroke. The only thing Dyson did wrong, really was fail to hold Chase Utley. Also, it’s funny that Utley is on the Dodgers and apparently as fast as any player on the Giants. This is all really, really funny. If you’re looking for positives, the obvious one is that Madison Bumgarner was fantastic, mixing speeds and moving the ball inside and outside at will. He was electric, and the Dodgers couldn’t hit him. In five years, you might not remember this game, but you could be watching Bumgarner and being thankful he’s as good as he is. This game gives us all a hint that might be our future if we’re lucky. The only problem is that Hyun-jin Ryu was just as good. I mean, he wasn’t as good as Bumgarner. But the equation goes something like this: Madison Bumgarner = Hyun-jin Ryu + (facing the 2017 Giants) And it’s absolutely devastating to watch. They each pitched seven innings. They each allowed a walk, five hits, and struck out seven. Neither of them allowed a run. But Bumgarner was clearly better, from my admittedly biased perspective. Didn’t matter. Ryu getting to face the 2017 Giants was just as effective. Because the 2017 Giants can’t hit. They have no plan. They have idea what they’re doing. Here’s the strike zone plot from Brooks Baseball for Ryu: Ryu wasn’t perfect because pitchers are never perfect, but he left balls out over the plate. Swinging strike. Foul. Called strike. Called strike. In play, out(s). The Giants are completely incapable of doing anything against anyone. You might be surprised to learn that this is just the second time in 16 starts that Ryu pitched into the seventh inning, and that’s because you’re new to the sport of baseball, someone played a practical joke on you, and you’re convinced that the Giants are a fun team to follow. I’m so sorry, but, no. It is 1974, and the Dodgers are going to be good forever, and the Giants might not win another game. Conor Gillaspie hit a dramatic pinch-hit home run again, the second of the last couple weeks, and the Giants lost again, just like they did the last time. This is a team that can’t even capitalize on the random Conor Gillaspie home runs, they’re so bad. I’ll bet that there’s at least one reader who’s getting mad at me for being so cynical. These sweet, blessed souls have floated to this site like a dandelion spore, hoping that I’ll help them feel better. Friend, I regret to inform you that this team is awful, and they can get worse. They’re expensive and aging. When I open Minor Lines in the morning, I skip over everything and scroll down to see how the 17-year-olds did. The Dodgers are young and improving, rich and assertive, unstoppable and completely aware of it.

The Giants were swept at Dodger Stadium, and I was so very mad at them the whole time. Even when they took a lead into the ninth inning, I was mad and waiting for them to screw up. Even when they took a lead into the 11th inning, I was mad and waiting for them to screw up. When they blew both leads, I wasn’t extra mad. I stayed at the same, low-grade simmer-seeth that I was when they had the lead. It was just the realization of a future I’d already seen before. The Giants’ starting pitchers threw three quality starts against the Dodgers this weekend. Each one of them pitched into the seventh inning. Over the last two games, they combined for 14 innings and two runs allowed. They lost every game. They will lose more games before the season is over. Dozens of them. And while maybe none of them will be as miserable as the three this weekend, they’ll be pretty miserable. The Phillies lost again. They’re just two games ahead of the Giants for the worst record in baseball and the first-overall pick in next year’s draft. The Giants can do it! We have something to root for. Because it was too much to root for a stray, inexplicable win against the Dodgers. Just one lousy win out of three chances. They’re the ones who get grounders with eyes in the ninth inning, not the Giants. They’re the ones who come back. They’re the ones who find a way to win. The Giants are the ones who find a way to lose. The Giants have scientists in lab coats figuring out new ways, I’m sure. Bless them, they’re so creative. I look forward to seeing what they come up with. Because this one was Buster Posey making two outs with one swing and Kyle Farmer getting two runs with one swing. That’s not how it should be, you think. And it’s then that you realize that nobody cares what you think. This is just how it is. CBS Sacramento Los Angeles Dodgers Win 3-2 Over San Francisco Giants On Sunday Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) – Kyle Farmer’s two-run double in the 11th inning in his first major league at-bat lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to their eighth straight win, 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. Corey Seager doubled down the right-field line with one out for his third hit of the game and Justin Turner was walked intentionally. Farmer then lined a 3-2 pitch from Luis Suarez (0-1) down the right-field line, scoring Seager and Turner just ahead of the throw home for the Dodgers’ 31st comeback victory. The Dodgers won for the 39th time in 45 games, and completed their 14th sweep this season. Los Angeles turned a franchise-record six double plays as they improved to 26-3 at home since June 7. The Dodgers improved to 26-3 at home since June 7 and are now 74-31 overall, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Joe Panik had given the Giants a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning as he muscled the first pitch from reliever Luis Avilan through a drawn-in infield for a single into shallow center field that scored Kelby Tomlinson from third. Tomlinson had reached third after leading off the 11th with a single to center off reliever Brandon Morrow. He then stole second and took third on Denard Span’s grounder to second.

Pedro Baez (3-1) got the last two outs in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. Both team squandered opportunities to score in the 10th. The Giants left runners on first and third as Gorkys Hernandez fouled out to first baseman Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers then stranded runners on first and second when reliever Chris Gearrin retired Joc Pederson on a grounder to second. The Dodgers tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Chase Utley led off with an infield single, stole second, and scored on Yasiel Puig’s single up the middle. The Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs, only to have Cody Bellinger fly out to Giants left fielder Hernandez. Los Angeles also came up empty after loading the bases in the eighth on three walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, as Austin Barnes to fly out to right fielder Hunter Pence to end the threat. Conor Gillaspie had given the Giants a 1-0 lead in the eighth with his seventh career pinch-hit home run, driving an 0-2 pitch from reliever Josh Fields just beyond a leaping Puig over the right field wall. Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, pitching on his 28th birthday, held the Dodgers to five hits over seven innings, striking out seven against one walk in his fourth start since coming off the disabled list after missing 75 games with a shoulder injury suffered in a dirt bike accident. Dodger starter Hyun-Jin Ryu also pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one in his best outing of the season. TRAINER’S ROOM Giants: RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento. He was scheduled to pitch the first inning. … RHP Johnny Cueto (blisters) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Monday night. … Brandon Belt (sore right wrist) returned to the Giants lineup after sitting out todays, but needed to pass a pregame batting practice test before it was official, Manager Bruce Bochy said. Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez took nine at-bats in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. … OF Andre Either took an extended batting practice Sunday, but it figures to be late August before the Dodgers consider his return, Manager Dave Roberts said. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Matt Cain will start the opener of a two-game series in Oakland, the first half of a four-game home-and-home set against the A’s. Cain carries a personal eight-game losing streak, losing his most recent start, giving up six runs and six hits in four innings against Pittsburgh. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda will start the opener against Atlanta on Tuesday, bringing an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA over his last 14 appearances. He won his most recent start, giving up a run and five hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday.

Reuters San Francisco Giants – PlayerWatch 1B-3B Jae-gyun Hwang is expected to start Sunday against the Dodgers, giving him a chance to face an old friend and colleague from the Korean Baseball Organization, Dodger left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu. They broke into pro baseball in Korea the same year and battled against each other for several years before Ryu joined the Dodgers in 2013. Hwang was signed by the Giants in the offseason after he spent 10 years in the KBO, seven of those years with Lotte. He had 26 home runs in 2015 and 27 homers and 113 RBIs in 2015, earning him a shot with the Giants. He was hitting .290 at Triple-A Sacramento before his recall. He's hitting .175 in 14 games. 1B Brandon Belt was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game because of a wrist injury suffered earlier this week diving for a ball. 2B Joe Panik was not in the starting lineup, mired in a 6-for-37 slump. Miguel Gomez started at second Saturday and had an infield single Kenley Jansen in the ninth. C Nick Hundley was a late scratch from the starting lineup. He took a foul tip off his hand Friday night and had some soreness in batting practice. SF Gate Giants blow leads in ninth and 11th, lose on rookie’s first hit Henry Schulman LOS ANGELES — As baseball’s trade deadline arrives Monday, all who have witnessed the Giants crumble through their season from hell wonder whom the front office might acquire to fix this. Madison Bumgarner does not want to hear it, does not want to believe the team that dressed in deadly silence after the worst of their 66 losses Sunday night cannot help itself. “Anytime you’re winning as a team it’s obviously good for everything,” Bumgarner said after the 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Dodgers. “It’s funny how that solves all kinds of problems. It’s easy to point fingers and say what’s got to be done to improve the team. All we’ve got to do is win and that goes away.” The trick is knowing how to win. The Giants don’t, while the Dodgers don’t know how to lose. They overcame one-run Giants leads in the ninth and 11th innings to move a staggering 34½ games ahead of the Giants. It’s the Giants largest deficit since the final day of the 1946 season and a half-game worse than where they were the day they lost their 100th game to end 1985. In a Midas-touch season, the Dodgers figured to deal Sam Dyson his first blown save with the Giants, which was not entirely his fault. Also a sign of Midas’ handiwork, they won for the 39th time in their last 45 games when catcher Kyle Farmer, in his first moment as a major-league player, lined a two-run double to right with one out in the 11th off Albert Suarez to bring Corey Seager and Justin Turner home with the tying and winning runs.

In a move no manager makes lightly, Bruce Bochy ordered Turner intentionally walked as the potential winning run so Suarez could face a kid in his big-league debut rather than the National League batting leader. Joe Panik had given the Giants their second lead, at 2-1, with an RBI single in the top half. Dodger Stadium shook from the madness in the stands after Farmer’s hit moments later ended a three-game sweep. Given the standings, it would be fair to assume the Dodgers obliterated the Giants all weekend. In fact, they outscored San Francisco 11-7. But the only three leads the Giants took disappeared in short order. “We need to find a way to finish games out, get leads, more offense, putting runs on the board, defense, pitching,” Panik said after the Giants hit into six double plays, five on the ground. Panik surmised the rivalry heightens the Giants’ fight. But what about the 50 games they have left against everyone else? Don’t the Giants need to come out with the same fight? “We better,” Panik said. “We’re blessed to be playing in the major leagues. Everyone in here has to bring that energy and that resilience for us to come back.” Not come back in the standings, but back from baseball’s graveyard. Bumgarner did his part in a start he wanted, because it was the Dodgers. He pitched his best game of the year, pre- or post-bike crash, blanking the Dodgers with seven strikeouts in seven innings. Conor Gillaspie batted for Jae-Gyun Hwang in the eighth and homered for the game’s first run. Dyson started the ninth by getting pinch-hitter Chase Utley to hit a soft bouncer to third. Gillaspie crow-hopped before his throw, making it late. Utley stole second and scored on Yasiel Puig’s single to tie the game 1-1. Dyson did some sorcery to prevent the Dodgers from winning right there, getting Cody Bellinger to fly out with the bases loaded and two outs. Two months remain, too soon for players to start dreaming of their winter vacation. They have to play to win as if the Dodgers aren’t 34½ games ahead. “To be this far back is not what you hoped for,” Panik said. “The way you cope is going out the next day and giving all you’ve got because there are 24 other guys giving everything they’ve got, a coaching staff doing everything to prepare us and fans who have been so supportive.”