By Jeremy Harness

csnmidatlantic.com photo: Florida Marlins batting coach Barry Bonds argues with the plate umpire that he didn’t say anything from the dugout after being ejected as Marlins manager Don Mattingly stands between them during the Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants game Wednesday at Marlins Park in Miami

The Giants came through with a series win on Wednesday afternoon that they desperately needed, a day after the Los Angeles Dodgers officially caught up to them in the National League West standings after trailing by eight games as recent as a month and a half ago.

The win, however, had an interesting subplot for longtime Giants fans. That’s because former Giants slugger Barry Bonds, who now serves as the Miami Marlins’ hitting coach, was ejected from Wednesday’s game for arguing balls and strikes.

Meanwhile, Giants starter Jeff Samardzija had a bounce-back effort. After scuffling badly since the All-Star break (who hasn’t for the Giants, really?), the righty shut out the Marlins for the 5 2/3 innings that he in the game while giving up only three hits in leading the Giants to a 1-0 win at Marlins Park.

The win meant that the Giants took two of the three-game series from the Marlins, the first series that they have been able to claim since the All-Star break.

Samardzija also struck out three hitters, and the only real blemish on his day was that he issues three walks in the process.

After the starter left the game, the much-maligned Giants bullpen kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, as Will Smith, Hunter Strickland, Derek law and closer Santiago Casilla combined to surrender only two hits, striking out four and not walking a single guy.

The lone run came in the fourth inning, when Brandon Crawford led off the inning and worked a full count on starter David Phelps and got a pitch that he liked, a belt-high fastball that he raked over the right-field wall.

This came two days after the shortstop collected seven hits against the Marlins in pacing the Giants to an 8-7 win in extra innings.

The Giants will now head back home to face the Baltimore Orioles, who are completing a series of their own across the bay in Oakland on Wednesday, for a series that starts Thursday night.

NOTES: Manager Bruce Bochy was released from a Miami hospital Tuesday night after battling an undisclosed illness, and reports are that he is expected to return to his manager’s role as early as Tuesday.