Only for Guild Members » Story might participate in some baseball

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants hope to continue an increasingly improbable run to a playoff berth in the National League when they host the New York Mets on Saturday afternoon on the second day of a three-game series.On the same day that they appeared to raise the white flag when they dealt Andrew McCutchen to the New York Yankees for two prospects Paul Molitor Jersey , the Giants (68-68) used Aramis Garcia’s first major-league home run and Chris Shaw’s first major-league RBI to help beat the Mets 7-0 on Friday night and inch within 6 1/2 games of first-place Arizona (74-61) in the NL West.The win was the Giants’ fifth on a homestand that also has seen them lose Buster Posey and Steven Duggar to season-ending injuries.Article continues below ...The Giants, who remained eight games back in the race for the second NL wild-card berth, haven’t given up hope, as was evidenced by the sight of Posey and Pablo Sandoval, also out for the season following hamstring surgery, rooting on the club on Friday.“He’s doing fine,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Posey, who underwent hip surgery Monday. “He’ll be rehabbing for a while. I know he’s glad to get this part of it over, especially that first day or two, when you’re in a lot of pain.”Shaw, promoted earlier in the day to fill McCutchen’s vacated roster spot, eased a lot of the pain when he produced the Giants’ first run in the seventh inning Friday.Then Garcia, a catcher who had watched Nick Hundley do all the catching in the Arizona series that ended Wednesday, came through with a memorable first major-league hit — a homer off Mets reliever Robert Gsellman that triggered a six-run eighth inning.The Giants are hoping for more of the same Saturday with left-hander Derek Holland (7-8, 3.65 ERA) on the mound.The veteran is unbeaten in his last seven starts, including a five-inning outing on Aug. 20 in New York in which he limited the Mets to one run and four hits in a 2-1 win.Holland did not get a decision in the victory, and has never beaten the Mets in his career, going 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts.He is scheduled to be opposed by fellow left-hander Steven Matz (5-11, 4.36), who is winless in his last four starts, having allowed 14 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings.Like Holland, Matz didn’t get credit for a win when he pitched the Mets to a 6-3 home victory over the Giants on Aug. 21. He gave up just two runs and two hits in five innings.Matz is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two career starts against the Giants.After the Giants roughed up the New York bullpen for six runs in the eighth inning Friday, the Mets called for reinforcements that are expected to join the team in time for Saturday’s game.Highly regarded reliever Eric Hanhold and minor-league mate Tim Peterson were reported to be headed west Friday night and should be ready to go when major-league rosters expand to 40 on Saturday.Hanhold http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-tony-oliva-jersey , a hard-throwing right-hander, was acquired from Milwaukee as a player to be named later after the Mets dealt Neil Walker to the Brewers last September. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Late September, a crucial series, and a postseason berth on the line. Yasiel Puig thrives in big-game situations, and once again he delivered.Puig didn’t start despite being on a tear at the plate. But he came off the bench to slug a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning that sent the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Wednesday night to increase their NL West lead to 2½ games.“We’re going to win the West again,” Puig said. Walker Buehler struck out a career-high 12 and the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the second-place Rockies, giving the five-time defending NL West champions their largest division lead this season. They outscored Colorado 16-6 in the series, with homers proving to be the difference in each game.“It’s impressive,” manager Dave Roberts said of the sweep. “I believe our guys can sustain it.”The Rockies remained 1½ games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card.“Like I’ve said all along, I think this is going to come down to the end,” manager Bud Black said. “I really do.”After falling into a 2-0 hole in a 36-pitch first inning, Buehler settled down and showed why he has become a dependable complement to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. The rookie right-hander allowed three hits and one walk over six innings, and neither run he gave up was earned.“I just slowed down a little bit,” Buehler said. “The later you get in the year the bigger it all feels.”Puig’s second career pinch-hit homer came off Scott Oberg (7-1) and ignited the crowd and his teammates, some of whom came out in front of the dugout to cheer. The always-excitable Puig raised both arms as he circled the bases.“I saw his first swing and I saw him hit the top half of the ball,” Oberg said. “I’m like, ‘OK, it’s probably a decent pitch to throw again.’ Sitting on it. Put a good swing on it. Over the fence. That’s it.”Puig is hitting .400 this month, with seven homers, nine runs and 14 RBIs. He hit five homers in two days recently.The Dodgers showed off their depth in the seventh. After pinch-hitter Joc Pederson fouled out, Max Muncy drew a pinch-hit walk. Yasmani Grandal doubled to deep right field, moving Muncy to third and setting up Puig.“This series was emblematic of our ballclub http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-kent-hrbek-jersey ,” Roberts said. “How many people had their hands in to help us win three ballgames.”Caleb Ferguson (7-2) got two outs and Kenley Jansen closed for his 36th save.Buehler gave up a two-run single to Ian Desmond in the first after the pitcher made a run-saving throw to the plate when Gerardo Parra grounded into a fielder’s choice.Matt Kemp homered on the first pitch from Tyler Anderson in the second, giving the Dodgers seven players with 20 or more homers in a season for the first time in franchise history. That left them trailing 2-1. Brian Dozier’s RBI double tied the game 2-all in the fifth. Enrique Hernandez singled leading off and made a headfirst slide at the plate, with his feet barely eluding the tag of catcher Chris Iannetta.Anderson gave up two runs and three hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two.The Dodgers went 12-7 against the Rockies this season and swept them twice. Colorado, which lost two of three at home to Los Angeles earlier this month, fell to 1-5 on its nine-game road trip.“You can see it as a tale of two teams right now with the Dodgers,” Iannetta said. “They’re getting hot over the last week and a half and we’ve been grinding a little bit the last week and a half. We’ve had moments, but we haven’t really had consistent production.”TRAINER’S ROOMRockies: SS Trevor Story is receiving treatment for right elbow inflammation in Arizona, and the team is encouraged that he could return soon. Story might participate in some baseball activities at the club’s spring training facility in Phoenix, where the Rockies are headed next to play the Diamondbacks.TROUBLE AT HOMEThings aren’t going as well for Puig at home. TMZ reported that the slugger’s home in the San Fernando Valley was broken into for the fourth time on Tuesday night when he was at the ballpark.“I (did) not sleep too much yesterday,” Puig said, without offering details about the incident.Previous break-ins occurred in March 2017, during Game 7 of last year’s World Series and then last month.DODGERS AT HOMEWith three home games left in the regular season, the Dodgers are 42-36, their worst record in LA since going 42-39 in 2011. Their latest win allowed them to clinch a 13th straight winning season at Chavez Ravine.BLACKMON’S STREAKCharlie Blackmon singled in the first, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest active steak in the majors. He’s hitting .390 with nine runs, five doubles, four homers and eight RBIs since Sept. 8.UP NEXTRockies: Off on Thursday before sending RHP German Marquez (12-10, 3.96 ERA) to the mound against third-place Arizona.Dodgers: After an off day Thursday, LHP Rich Hill (9-5, 4.02) starts the opener of a three-game series against the last-place Padres.