SAN FRANCISCO _ As manager Bruce Bochy took in the Hall of Fame festivities in Cooperstown, the Giants further stamped his place in baseball's record books by avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.
With an 8-5 win over the Brewers at AT&T Park on Sunday, the Giants earned Bochy's 1,906th career victory as a Major League manager, pushing him past Casey Stengel into 11th place on baseball's all-time wins list.
Bochy probably owes a solid to bench coach Hensley Meulens, who snagged him the win by taking over managerial duties while the Giants skipper traveled to Cooperstown to be present for the Hall of Fame induction of Trevor Hoffman, who he managed for 12 seasons with the San Diego Padres.
Despite the historic win, it's hard to imagine that Bochy did too much celebrating Sunday. With just three wins since the All-Star break, the Giants playoff chance are circling the drain quickly. They trail three teams in the National League West standings, including the first place Los Angeles Dodgers by 6 { games.
To make matters worse, co-ace Johnny Cueto met with doctors Sunday to access whether he'll need Tommy John surgery after he pitched a season-low four innings Saturday night. Pablo Sandoval also left Sunday's game in the fifth, limping toward the dugout holding his right hamstring after he tripled and scored on a sacrifice.
Bochy, who took a red-eye flight to Albany, N.Y. after Saturday's game to attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, is planning to rejoin the team in time for pregame warmups in San Diego on Monday. He's expected to provide an update on Cueto's health prior to Monday's game against the Padres.
As Bochy nudged his way past Stengel, the Giants did their best to steer management away from being sellers before Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline.
The Giants put together their most offensively-prolific game since the All-Star break, scoring eight runs off 13 hits, the type of effort they'll need to put forth consistently to push for a playoff spot down the stretch.
Buster Posey put together the type of game that Giants fans grew accustomed to seeing from him during their World Series years earlier this decade, going 4 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Posey got the Giants on the scoreboard in the third, bringing in three runs with a double to left-center field. He also singled in the fifth, scoring off Sandoval's triple, and collected one baggers in the sixth and eighth.
The Giants also picked up runs off sacrifice flies from Evan Longoria and Steven Duggar in the third and fifth, and Gorkeys Hernandez's 12th home run in the fourth.
With the offensive breakout, the Giants finally provided support for Andrew Suarez (4-6), who did enough on the hill to earn his first win since June 29. After receiving three or fewer runs of support in 12 of his first 17 starts, Suarez needed the help Sunday, surrendering four earned runs off eight hits and a walk in six innings of work.
Suarez coughed up a two-run homer to Ryan Braun in the first, a long ball to Hernan Perez in the sixth and a run off a walk and a single in the fifth. Travis Shaw drove in the Brewers fifth run by homering off Sam Dyson in the seventh. Will Smith posted his fifth save by shutting the door in the ninth.
