Major League Baseball Playoff Odds: San Francisco Giants

Bumgarner has not only been an essential pitcher to the Giants this season, but he’s been an important aspect of the batting rotation as well.

The San Francisco Giants look to continue their playoff drive when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit on Friday.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson (37) strikes out to end the seventh inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks face the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. Pollock led off with a single, and one out later, Goldschmdt drove the ball down the left-field line.

Pollock also made a sparkling defensive gem in center field during the eighth when he leaped and robbed pinch-hitter Jarrett Parker of a home run.

Bumgarner, who has thrown 197 innings following his 270-inning 2014 campaign, doesn’t need to throw another pitch until Spring Training 2016 – he can go into the offseason with the knowledge that he did far more than his fair share this season.

Madison Bumgarner still has a reasonable shot at reaching the 20-win mark.

The Giants are 8 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West and nine games behind the Cubs for the second N.L. wild-card berth. The Giants like to think of him as good for a win every time out, but twice in his last four starts he’s allowed just two runs only to take the loss with the offensive machine grinding to a halt. After all, he did enter the night with five homers and a.760 OPS. He allowed five hits and two runs, one earned, in eight innings but was denied his 19th win.

“We can’t afford any losses, ” Bumgarner said in a solemn Giants’ clubhouse. “That’s not an ideal performance”.

“Not good enough to win”, Bumgarner said. Giants manager Bruce Bochy disclosed before the game that if his club is still in the division race entering the final week of the regular season, it’s possible RF Hunter Pence (strained left oblique) and LF Nori Aoki (concussion) could return for a four-game series against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. We’re going to have to go out there and give it all we have every game and see if we can tighten it up a little bit here.

To date, the Giants have a record of 77-69 after the conclusion of their series against the Cincinnati Reds. It was the 13th time this season the Giants have been shut out. We just couldn’t get a hit there off him. “We’re going to hold him back from that, ” Bochy said.

First baseman Brandon Belt, kneed in the head on a play at second base two nights earlier, exited the game before the ninth when he had trouble concentrating, according to Bochy.

Bumgarner danced out of danger in the fifth when Yasmani Thomas hit a leadoff triple.

The Giants did load the bases against De La Rosa in the sixth but did so without a hit – a hit batter, a walk and, with first base open, an intentional walk to Posey giving the Giants a chance. However, they were more productive in the sixth, with A.J. and Paul again at the heart of proceedings.