~ (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

LOS ANGELES– San Francisco maintained their lead against a late rally attempt by the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday.

Giants catcher Buster Posey threw out Yasiel Puig at second to end a Dodgers’ comeback that started in the eighth.

Los Angeles was scoreless entering the inning with only three hits. San Francisco had several scares as the Dodgers finally broke through starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, when catcher Austin Barnes hit a one-out home run. Charlie Culberson doubled and Cody Bellinger came in to pinch hit. Bellinger hit the ball long but not long enough. Culberson then moved to third and the Giants brought in Hunter Strickland (H, 19). Right fielder Hunter Pence caught that out on the warning track after eight pitches.

In the ninth, Los Angeles pinch hitter Curtis Granderson singled. Puig then replaced Granderson in a force out before Puig was caught stealing.

Bumgarner (4-9) had four 1-2-3 innings including three consecutive as he ended his four-game losing streak. He threw 99 pitches in 7.2 innings, gave up five hits, one run, one walk and struck out five.  Bumgarner also pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up five hits in his last start versus the Dodgers July 30, but did not get a decision

San Francisco only had two innings where they didn’t get on base. Left fielder Gorkys Hernández went 3-for-4 with a walk and stolen base as he crossed home plate twice.

Los Angeles starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-8) had to leave in the third inning with a left forearm contusion. X-rays were negative.

Hernández started the game with a leadoff double, moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Panik and with two outs, Posey hit the ball up the middle to give the Giants a 1-0 lead in the first inning for the third game in a row. Posey now has a four-game hitting streak.

It was Panik’s hit that got to Ryu. Ryu was able to retrieve the ball and make the out at first but after, had to leave the game. Ross Stripling entered the game in relief. Ryu’s line was 2 and ⅓ innings, three hits, one run, one strikeout and 23 strikes out of 36 total pitches.

San Francisco doubled their lead in the fifth. With one out, Hernández singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Denard Span. Span also stole second.

The Dodgers almost had another 1-2-3 ending but the third out, Hernández’s hit, went in and out of Puig’s glove after he had to run for the catch.

Game notes: At game end, Puig may have twisted his ankle as he left limping. Giants’ Brandon Crawford had a save up the middle and Panik robbed Corey Seager with a sliding catch. Sam Dyson earned the save. Los Angeles pinch hitter O’Koyea Dickson got his first Major League hit in the third. The teams finish the season series at 1:10pm Sunday.