Los Angeles– The San Francisco Giants muscled up Monday night and took down their hated rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2. The Giants now bring their record to 2-5 versus the Dodgers this year, and move to 10-20 in against the division. Despite those dismal numbers the Giants moved back into second-place in the NL West, now four games back of leader, San Diego. In professional sports, winning is a cure-all, and this could not hold truer for the Giants at the moment. The Giants have won four-of-five since the break.
Madison Bumgarner picked up his third straight win Monday night, and his first career against the long time rival. Bumgarner pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits but only one run. The young up-and-coming pitcher showed he has what it takes overcome the fear of base runners. Bumgarner only run came on a solo shot from Rafael Furcal in the sixth. This is great news for the Giants, as the fifth spot in the starting rotation has been a question mark all season. With Todd Wellemeyer still on the DL, with another solid performance, Bumgarner may take the spot in the rotation.
The Giants yet again got a stellar contribution from Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. Posey moved his hitting streak to 13 games while Sandoval upped his to five games. In the top top of the third, the duo put the Giants on top and in control. Posey singled in Andres Torres, then Sandoval doubled to bring home Posey. If the Giants are to make the playoffs, Sandoval has to find his form from last season. So far in the second half, Pablo is getting the job done. Sandoval is 8-17 since the break. The Giants also got a two run shot from Nate Schierholtz in the fourth. Freddy Sanchez later added a RBI, and the pitching held, leading to the 5-2 victory.
The Giants ace, Tim Lincecum will take the mound tonight at 7:10 p.m., looking for win number 11. The Giants should see this as a crucial game. With a win, the Giants would move to 52-42, 10 games above .500, and they would move their record to .500 on the road at 24-24. If the Giants succeed, this will be the game where the team could realize their massive potential. This could lead to a huge second half roll, one that would bring smiles to Giants fans worldwide.
Go Giants.
