SF Giants Press Clips Monday, July 31, 2017

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1 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 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 But the only three leads the Giants took disappeared in short order.

2 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 crowhopped 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.

3 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, Yasiel Puig is hitting eighth for the Dodgers. I ll leave the rest to your imagination.

4 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?

5 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.

6 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 basesloaded 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 lefthander 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.

7 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 lefthanded 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.

8 This is a big day for Korean baseball fans. The Giants Jae-gyun Hwang will get to face the Dodgers Hyunjin 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 record. Bumgarner has reacted to the club's woes the way he responds to most other subjects: stoically.

9 "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 11 th 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.

10 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 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

11 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 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 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."

12 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

13 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 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.

14 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 tworun 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 rightfield 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 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

15 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.

16 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 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

17 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

18 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 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 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.

19 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.