GIANTS     91-69    ...           One more win will still do it.
San Diego    89-71     2 GB    They've taken the first step.

Yesterday
Giants lost to San Diego, 6-4.

Today
Giants host San Diego; 1:10 PM PDT (4:10 EDT) at the 'Bell. Barry Zito faces Tim Stauffer. Zito, oddly, has faced the Padres only once this year, back on May 11, and he didn't pitch well, walking seven. Stauffer beat the Giants three weeks ago in his only start against San Francisco.


Last Night's Game
For a change, the Padres didn't do it with pitching, but with hitting. Starter Clayton Richard barely made it through the fifth, but by then his teammates had already chased Matt Cain with three homers and built a 6-0 lead. The Giants rallied back in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings-- the highlight was Aaron Rowand's two-run pinch-hit homer-- but fell short after putting the tyng run on base in the niinth against Padres' closer Heath Bell. Freddy Sanchez was doubled off first on Aubrey Huff's line-drive out, and that pretty much settled it.

The Wild, Wild Card
Atlanta still holds a one-game lead over the Padres for the wild-card spot, even after their 11-5 pounding at the hands of the Phillies last night. Should the Giants do an 'el foldo' this weekend, they could still end up with the wild-card themselves if the Braves likewise collapse. The possibility also exists that all three teams will finish 91-71, in which case the Giants and Padres would play Monday in San Diego for the NL West title, and the loser of that game would play the Braves Tuesday to settle the 'Card. Needless to say, such a situation has never happened before.