LOS ANGELES -- Presented with a chance to regain a shred of their long-lost momentum, the Giants reacted as they have done with virtually every opportunity in recent weeks. They squandered it.
San Francisco took the field Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium knowing that the Mets and Cardinals, their rivals in the National League Wild Card competition, already had lost. A victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers would put the Giants back on top of the NL Wild Card standings. But instead of delivering an aggressive response, San Francisco offered only an ineffectual retreat in the form of a 9-3 loss.