O.C., California- Staffeln » SAN FRANCISCO —

The San Francisco Giants find themselves weighing star catcher Buster Posey’s long-term health against their own short-term playoff fortunes as they prepare for Saturday’s afternoon clash with the Texas Rangers.Texas’ improbable 7-6 Francisco Lindor Jersey , 10-inning win in the series opener on Friday night, coupled with Milwaukee’s extra-inning victory over Pittsburgh, pushed the Brewers (72-58) nine games ahead of the Giants (63-67) in the battle for the second wild-card spot in the National League with just 32 games remaining.Making the Giants’ task all the more daunting is that they stand in just eighth place in the wild-card race, needing to pass six teams to earn one of the two spots.Article continues below ...San Francisco had hoped to make a run on a nine-game homestand that began Friday and featured six games against the Rangers and New York Mets.But the club left the ballpark a deflated bunch after second baseman Joe Panik’s two-out error in the ninth inning kept the Rangers alive, and Rougned Odor smacked Will Smith’s next pitch into the San Francisco Bay for a game-tying home run that forced extra innings.To add insult to injury, the Rangers wound up winning the game on a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk by Sam Dyson to Robinson Chirinos.Battling a painful right hip that will require surgery at some point, Posey caught the entire 10 innings and contributed a run, a hit and an RBI to the losing cause.His appearance was a bit of a surprise in that Giants general manager Brian Sabean had told the club’s flagship radio station, KNBR-680 in San Francisco, on Thursday that the hip surgery was “imminent” and that he was working with Posey and his representatives on scheduling it.Now that the Giants one game farther back in the wild-card chase and facing an afternoon affair after an extra-inning night game Corey Kluber Jersey , there’s a good chance Posey won’t be in the Giants’ starting lineup Saturday.Whether that’s to give the six-time All-Star a short break or perhaps because he’s left the team to start the clock on the recovery from the inevitable surgery remains to be seen.Sabean stated that the recovery period is expected to be about six months.If Posey doesn’t start Saturday, Nick Hundley will be behind the plate to catch left-hander Andrew Suarez (4-9, 4.68 ERA), who appears to have hit the proverbial “rookie wall.”Suarez has allowed three or more runs in six of his last seven starts, after not having done so in any of his previous six outings.The 25-year-old has never faced the Rangers.Texas is expected to counter with lefty Martin Perez (2-5, 6.93), who likewise has struggled of late, allowing 13 runs and 20 hits in 11 innings over his last two starts.Perez has faced the Giants just once in his career, and it was a doozy. He limited San Francisco to two hits and one run in 8 1/3 innings in a 2-1 home win when the interleague rivals last met in 2015.Also homering for the Rangers in the series opener was Joey Gallo, his 34th of the season. That’s more than twice as many as the Giants’ leader, Andrew McCutchen Ricky Vaughn Jersey , who led off the first inning with a home run for the 10th time in his career to help San Francisco run off to a 6-0 lead. The homer was McCutchen’s 15th of the season. WASHINGTON — Daniel Murphy returns to Nationals Park on Thursday after helping the Chicago Cubs gain some breathing room over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.Murphy, who was acquired from the Nationals on Aug. 21, had three hits, including a home run, as the Cubs beat the Brewers 6-4 to snap a two-game losing streak and increase their lead in the National League Central to four games.Chicago is 11-5 in a stretch of 23 games in 23 days and manager Joe Maddon said he’s proud of the way his team is handling it.Article continues below ...“I don’t sense fatigue, the energy is good, pregame is good, talk in the dugout good,” Maddon told mlb.com. “Normally at this time of the year, you feel more of that (fatigue). I think our ability to manipulate lineups and keep guys fresh helps. I think they know how to react.”Ironically, the other player Washington traded Aug. 21 — Matt Adams — homered twice Wednesday night to lead the Cardinals to a 7-6 win over the Nationals in the rubber game of that series. The Cardinals remain 4 1/2 games behind Chicago in the Central and are second in the wild-card race Michael Brantley Jersey , two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the final spot.The Nationals continued the selloff they began Aug. 21 when they traded pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Madson last week. Meanwhile, the Braves and Phillies are slumping. Both have played sub-.500 baseball since Aug. 15, but so have the Nationals (9-10), failing to gain much ground.Washington (69-71) dropped the final two games against St. Louis as late rallies fell short.“We gotta finish some comebacks, we really do,” Martinez said. They jump out to a 5-0 lead. Our guys don’t quit. it’s tough.”Martinez was speaking hours after general manager Mike Rizzo was asked during a session with reporters if his rookie manager — formerly the Cubs bench coach — would be back next season.“I haven’t considered any other scenario,” Rizzo responded, later praising his manager’s handling of the team.Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (11-10, 3.37 ERA) opposes right-hander Stephen Strasburg (7-7, 4.09) on Thursday night.Hendricks got a win last time out when he held the Phillies to a run on six hits in six innings Sept. 1. He was 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in August and got a no-decision against Washington on Aug. 10, when he allowed two runs in six innings.In his career http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-yan-gomes-jersey , Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six starts versus Washington.The Nationals have won all three of Strasburg’s starts since he returned from a cervical nerve impingement. Last time out, he picked up the win against Milwaukee when he allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks. It was his best outing since his return.“His velo’s back plus the first few innings he was lights out,” Martinez told mlb.com after the game. “That’s the Strasburg that we’ve seen in the past. So hopefully he’s got it now and he’s good, and in five days we see that same Stras.”Strasburg is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five regular-season starts versus the Cubs. In last year’s divisional playoff series, he was 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA after allowing two unearned runs over 14 innings. He threw seven shutout innings to win Game 4 in Chicago.Strasburg will try to stop the recent home run barrage against Washington pitchers, who have surrendered eight in the past two games.“The home runs have really killed us,” Martinez said. “I look back, and we’re giving up way too many homers. We have to figure that out. We really do.”