Pablo Sandoval

A brilliant play by Brandon Crawford may have cost Pablo Sandoval.

In the first game of a season-defining, 20-games-in-20-days stretch, in which the first 17 are against teams above .500, the Giants found a way.

If the Giants ever can seize momentum this season, it would be now.

“As a human, he’s one of the greatest guys you can be around,” Sandoval said.

The Giants could have used some levity Friday night, in what was a record-setting 18-2 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Tuesday afternoon the Giants announced that catcher Stephen Vogt will start in left field for San Francisco. Forcing Vogt’s hot bat into the lineup was not enough to spark any sort of offense for the Giants against Atlanta’s pitching, that is until the absolute last moment in Tuesday night’s game.

In what has been a somewhat lachrymose season for the San Francisco Giants thus far, one of the few bright spots has come from veteran Pablo Sandoval.

Will Smith got credited with the save in the Giants’ 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday, but it should probably go to Brandon Crawford.

His pitching line didn’t completely indicate it, but Madison Bumgarner couldn’t have felt better on the mound Saturday night. It helped that his San Francisco Giants teammates provided plenty of run support.

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants wrapped up a two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon, winning 4-3.