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GIANTS   104-54                    Starting pitching rounding into form?

LA             102-56    2 GB       Overcame a rare Scherzer meltdown.

Yesterday 

Giants defeated Arizona, 1-0, setting the all-time San Francisco record for wins in a season.

LA blew an early lead but rallied to beat San Diego, 11-9.

Today

Giants finish up with Arizona, and fittingly it will be Madison Bumgarner starting for the "Snakes." Scott Kazmir gets the nod for the home team. 6:45 at the O, 9:45 here.

LA concludes the San Diego series tonight and it'd sure be nice if they lost this one.

Last Night's Game

Pitching and small-ball enabled the Giants to pull out a tense, 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. Arizona may have lost 108 games already but there was no quit and a lot of grit on their part all night. Merrill Kelly walked four men, hit a batter, and allowed two hits over five innings, but he stranded all seven baserunners as the Giants reverted to that unhappy tendency to leave men in scoring position. Meanwhile Alex Wood, aided by three double plays, kept the slate clean on the Giants' side through six. It was his best start since the All-Star break and, like Kevin Gausman's effort on Sunday, it came at a most opportune time. But Wood, like Gauaman, didn't get the win because the Giants didn't break the ice until the seventh. After Dominic Leone had preserved Wood's shutout in the top of the frame, the Giants' pinch-hitting prowess struck again as Tommy LaStella, batting for Leone, led off with a single. Gabe Kapler sent Steven Duggar in to run, and the fleet outfielder stole his 7th base a moment later. "Late Night LaMonte" Wade, battling through a slump, then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, Duggar taking third. Kris Bryant, who's also been quiet lately, fouled off two pitches, then lofted a fly ball to right, just deep enough to bring home Duggar with the only run of the night. Jarlin Garcia and Camilo Doval pitched two perfect innings for the hold and the save.  And after that it was scoreboard-watching time as San Diego, down 4-0 in the first, roared back with six runs off Max Scherzer. Had the Padres finished it, the Giants' "magic number" would be down to one this morning. But LA poured across five in the eighth and held on to take it back and maintain the status quo.