SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants’ rookies got the better of the San Diego Padres’ youngsters in a matchup of NL West teams playing out the season.

While veterans Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria homered off Bryan Mitchell in the Giants’ 4-2 win Monday, three rookies had nice ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Less than 24 hours after blowing a six-run lead in an extra-innings loss, Mark Melancon prevented the San Francisco Giants from letting another big advantage slip away.

The former closer did it on a day when the Giants celebrated their 2010 World Series championship, a ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Less than 24 hours after blowing a six-run lead in an extra-innings loss, Mark Melancon prevented the San Francisco Giants from letting another big advantage slip away.

The former closer did it on a day when the Giants celebrated their 2010 World Series championship, a ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets left fielder Dominic Smith readily took the blame for plowing into shortstop Amed Rosario on the potential inning-ending play in the 13th inning that ended up costing his team the game.

Smith, a highly touted prospect who has been envisioned as the Mets’ first-baseman ...

SAN DIEGO (AP) — If he keeps pitching this well, Derek Rodriguez will be in the discussion for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

“That would be one thing that my dad never got, so that would be nice,” Rodridguez, the son of Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez, said after pitching seven strong ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sure, Josh Hader heard the boos. Of course, he knew they were coming.

The All-Star reliever retired four batters to earn a win while making his first appearance on the road since the lefty’s years-old racist and homophobic tweets surfaced during the All-Star Game, ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pablo Sandoval left Boston last season and returned to the San Francisco Giants realizing he no longer held Bay Area star status.

“I accepted my job and I came here to have fun,” he said.

He certainly is lately, with Sandoval delivering again — even if not quite ...

DENVER (AP) — Kyle Freeland has a silhouette of a mountain range tattooed along his right arm.

So, no, the Denver native doesn’t mind pitching in a little thin air.

Freeland elevated his game once again at ...

PHOENIX (AP) — For the second night in a row, a young San Francisco pitcher shut down the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This time, Dereck Rodriguez blanked them into the seventh inning and the Giants made it two straight wins in Arizona with a 7-0 victory Saturday.

Rodriguez’s performance ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The only thing that would have made Brandon Crawford feel better about his game-ending homer was if it had come early enough to reward Madison Bumgarner with a win.

Crawford homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth after Bumgarner threw seven scoreless innings, ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two days after returning from the paternity list, Brandon Crawford’s sleep pattern is slowly getting back to normal. His swing is looking smooth, too.

Crawford doubled twice, tripled and drove in three runs, leading the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres ...

TORONTO (AP) — Max Scherzer had gone more than two months without a defeat. Now the Washington Nationals ace has lost consecutive starts for the first time in nearly three years.

Marco Estrada took a shutout into the seventh inning, Devon Travis homered and the Toronto Blue Jays beat ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.

After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford did something on Sunday that few hitters have done this season. He got the best of Max Scherzer.

Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the Giants dealt Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Nationals 2-0 to win the ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alen Hanson has experience as a pinch-hitter, and he’s putting it to good use with his new team.

Hanson had a tying, two-run homer off Brad Boxberger with two outs in the ninth inning, Brandon Crawford singled home Andrew McCutchen in the 10th and the San Francisco ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner will be coming back to a team in the thick of the NL West race.

Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Crawford opened a seven-run fourth inning with back-to-back home runs, and the San Francisco Giants got back to .500 on the season by beating the first-place ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants right-hander Chris Stratton finally showed signs of getting back to the pitcher he’d been earlier in the season. His curveball danced up and down, and he worked with a determined pace that he admitted had been missing.

Three innings of scoreless relief by San ...

DENVER (AP) — The month of May was a big hit for Brandon Crawford.

Make that 42 hits to be exact.

Crawford kept up his May hitting surge by lining a pair of singles,

CHICAGO (AP) — Brandon Crawford is working on a strong finish to a terrific May.

In the field, and at the plate.

Crawford hit a two-run homer, Brandon Belt drove in two runs and the San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Saturday night to stop a three-game ...

HOUSTON (AP) — Gerrit Cole’s only major miscue against San Francisco came on a pitch to Brandon Crawford that will give his brother-in-law some bragging rights at family gatherings for years to come.

Cole struck out eight over six innings to lead the Houston Astros to an 11-2 victory over ...

HOUSTON (AP) — Gerrit Cole’s only major miscue against San Francisco came on a pitch to Brandon Crawford that will give his brother-in-law some bragging rights at family gatherings for years to come.

Cole struck out eight over six innings to lead the Houston Astros to an 11-2 victory over ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brandon Crawford credited a tip from Giants teammates Pablo Sandoval and Gregor Blanco for helping get his season turned around at the plate.

First baseman Brandon Belt, in turn, credited Crawford with helping keep San Francisco’s offense going while the team awaits ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carlos Gonzalez has played in San Francisco so many times over the past decade that dealing with seagulls swirling over the outfield grass is customary in the late innings.

“It’s part of the show, right?” he said, smiling. “I’ve been playing in this division for 10 ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants manager Bruce Bochy had no problem pulling his starting pitcher in the fourth inning. Cincinnati’s Jim Riggleman hesitated to do the same thing and the Reds paid for it.

Pinch hitter Pablo Sandoval delivered a tying two-run single off Tyler Mahle, Andrew ...

ATLANTA (AP) — Bruce Bochy kept the faith when San Francisco’s hitters struggled in the first three weeks of the season.

The Giants suddenly are showing that their manager had good reason to remain confident.

Buster Posey and Andrew McCutchen each had three of San Francisco’s 18 hits ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants backup catcher Nick Hundley knew he needed a triple to complete the cycle and fully intended on going for it after lacing a ball into the gap in left-center field in the sixth inning.

“And then I almost go thrown out at second,” Hundley said.

Hundley ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants backup catcher Nick Hundley knew he needed a triple to complete the cycle and fully intended on going for it after lacing a ball into the gap in left-center field in the sixth inning.

“And then I almost go thrown out at second,” Hundley said.

Hundley ...

PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Rodney just wants to keep getting the ball.

The 40-year-old closer struck out Brandon Crawford and Pablo Sandoval to get his 32nd save Saturday night, finishing off the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Rodney converted his 11th ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Catcher Nick Hundley came into the postgame scrum with a question of his own for pitcher Chris Stratton, razzing the rookie for a one-strikeout night.

“What was your thought on the punchout?” Hundley asked.

Stratton pitched six innings to run his scoreless streak ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Moore took his time walking off the mound after Giants manager Bruce Bochy came out to replace him in the eighth inning.

Moore wanted to enjoy the ovation from the crowd at AT&T Park, something he hadn’t heard for quite some time.

Moore took a one-hitter ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey pinch hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Cleveland Indians 5-4 on Wednesday.

Posey, on a scheduled rest day, doubled off the wall on a 3-2 slider on the seventh offering from Indians ...

DETROIT (AP) — Manager Brad Ausmus stayed with Michael Fulmer, and it worked out quite well for the Detroit Tigers.

Fulmer pitched eight innings, Victor Martinez homered and Detroit snapped San Francisco’s six-game win streak with a 5-3 victory over the Giants on Tuesday.

Fulmer, who ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie Jose Berrios faced a bases-loaded jam after a pair of walks in the third inning with a couple of proven, veteran hitters due up for San Francisco.

The Puerto Rican right-hander calmly struck out Brandon Crawford, then retired Hunter Pence on a called third ...