Giants maintain spot in wild-card race with 9-3 win
SAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Belt highlighted a seven-run sixth inning with a three-run homer Friday night, helping the San Francisco Giants open a critical three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 9-3 victory.
Madison Bumgarner limited the Dodgers to three runs in 7 1/3 innings and contributed a two-run double to the game-breaking uprising, allowing the Giants (85-75) to match wins by the New York Mets (86-74) and St. Louis Cardinals (84-76) earlier in the evening.
The Giants continue to trail the Mets by one game for the first National League wild-card spot. San Francisco retained a one-game edge over the Cardinals for the final playoff spot.
The Dodgers (91-69), meanwhile, lost out on an opportunity to pick up a game on the Washington Nationals (93-67) in their duel for home-field advantage in their NL Division Series first-round matchup.
The Nationals will take a two-game lead into the final two games of the regular season this weekend.
The Giants trailed 3-2 before teeing off on Dodgers reliever Brandon McCarthy (2-3) in the sixth inning.
McCarthy, pitching for just the second time since returning from a hip injury, walked the first man he faced, Angel Pagan, before the floodgates opened.
Singles by Brandon Crawford and Kelby Tomlinson loaded the bases, after which pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie's two-run double gave San Francisco a lead it never relinquished.
Bumgarner followed with his two-run double, his sixth of the season, to increase the lead to 6-3. And after Denard Span singled, ending McCarthy's night, Belt greeted Josh Ravin with his team-leading 17th homer of the season, breaking the game open at 9-3.
Bumgarner (15-9) won for the first time five starts. He allowed eight hits and one walk and struck out five.
The win was the 100th of the 27-year-old's career.
The Dodgers had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth on three consecutive two-out hits against Bumgarner. Enrique Hernandez's single scored Carlos Ruiz.
Dodgers starter Rich Hill was lifted after five innings with the lead. He held the Giants to two runs and six hits, walking one and striking out four.
Belt and Crawford had three hits apiece for the Giants, who won for the third time in four games on their regular-season-ending homestand.
Bumgarner added two hits, helping the Giants outhit the Dodgers 13-8.
Ruiz and Yasiel Puig collected two hits apiece for the Dodgers, who eliminated the Giants in the NL West race last Sunday.
Both starting pitchers settled down after a rocky start.
The Dodgers jumped on Bumgarner for two runs in the first inning, stringing together four one-out hits. Puig doubled home Corey Seager with the first run and scored on Ruiz's single.
The Giants immediately countered with a two-run inning, ignited by Gorkys Hernandez's leadoff double. Buster Posey drove in Hernandez with a single, and Angel Pagan's sacrifice fly plated Belt with the tying run.
NOTES: Giants manager Bruce Bochy disclosed before the game that 3B Eduardo Nunez (strained hamstring) is unlikely to play in the series and would be considered questionable for a possible wild-card game Wednesday. ... Bochy said he would wait until after the game to announce Saturday's starting pitcher. RHP Albert Suarez and LHP Ty Blach are considered the leading candidates to face Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw. ... The Dodgers released RHP Bud Norris on Friday, 10 days after designating the veteran pitcher for assignment. ... In a pregame ceremony, the Giants honored LHP Javier Lopez and SS Brandon Crawford as co-winners of the Willie Mac Award, given annually to the Giant who best represents the spirit and leadership of Hall of Famer 1B Willie McCovey.