Lose Big or Don't Lose at All

Seems like that's the Giants' philosophy, lately.  In the last 6 games, the Giants have been outscored 42 - 30.  The Giants have won 4 of those games.

The Giants won 2 of 3 against the Nationals, dropping the finale 15 - 2.   The Giants won Friday night, 6 - 4.  That game featured a go-ahead balk to give the Giants a 5 - 4 lead in the 7th.

Weird twin bill today.  Joe Panik is on the DL and Mac Williamson is on the concussion DL.  The Giants started new father Chris Stratton, hoping to have a game that saved their bullpen for the night game, followed by 4 straight before a break next Thursday.  Chris lasted 1 1/3 innings.  6 runs were charged to his record.  Ouch.  He was matched against dogger youngster Walker Buehler who also labored in the 1st, giving up 2 runs to the Giants, but hung in through 5 and got a win.  After Stratton, the Giants pitched Roberto Gomez, up from Sacramento; Derek Law and Cory Gearrin for 1 out.  The Giants finally found an effective pitcher for the 9th.  It was Pablo Sandoval.  He threw only 11 pitches to get 3 outs.  The totals: 215 pitches for the Giants, a guy named Alen Hanson, up from the minors to fill in for Panik, hit a 3 run home run, Derek Law got his first major league hit and a final score of 15 - 6. 

In the nightcap, the Giants faced Alex Wood with Johnny Cueto on the mound.  JC started off with 3 hits and 2 runs to the first 3 batters, including a home run to the 2nd, Cory Seager.  After that, though, the doggers did not have a base runner until the 5th when Cueto walked 2.   The Giants scored 3 in the 5th on a bases-clearing double by Austin Jackson.  That gave Cueto, who pitched 6, the win.  Reyes Moronta, normally so dependable, could not get an out in the 7th, but Sam Dyson handily cleaned up the bases loaded threat allowing only 1 run.  The Giants used another newbie, DJ Snelton in the 8th, but he ran into trouble in the 9th and Hunter Strickland bailed him out.  Meanwhile the Giants tacked on rbis by Belt, Longoria and Tomlinson.  The final score was 8 - 3.

So the Giants will not lose this series.  The final is tomorrow, Blach is scheduled against Maeda.  It will be the 10th meeting between LA and the Giants and it is not yet May.  Then the tough Padres come into town for 3 before the Giants take off on a road trip to Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.  The Giants are 1 game under .500, but in third place in the NL West, 1/2 game in front of LA.