San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants vs. New York YankeesNew York Yankees Pick Center

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Time: 04:05 P.M. EST Venue: Yankee Stadium   NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees saw their bats go quiet the last time they had a chance to get three games over .500 for the first time this season. This time, New York will hope for a more productive showing and if they can't get a big day at the plate, the Yankees will hope to be as opportunistic as they were Friday. New York makes its second attempt at going three games over Saturday afternoon when it continues a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees reached the elusive two games over .500 mark Wednesday when they had a 5-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles. In their first attempt at going three over, the Yankees had four hits and were handed a 4-1 loss to Baltimore while facing Chris Tillman. New York faced another ace Friday when it took swings against Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner's presence led to Didi Gregorius, Mark Teixeira and Jacoby Ellsbury getting the night off and the Yankees did enough and capitalized on their chances. In the series-opening 3-2 win, Chase Headley wound up scoring the winning run in the eighth on a throwing error by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Headley wound up scoring the winning run because Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller allowed runs in the seventh and eighth. Headley's dash allowed the Yankees to improve to 7-4 in the last two weeks while facing Cleveland, Boston and Baltimore and San Francisco, teams which have been in first place this season." We're fighting for our lives from here on out and we found a way to win," Headley said. "We got to do the same thing tomorrow." Meanwhile the Giants would like to stop repeating what happened Friday and what has taken place since the All-Star break. Crawford committed a career-high three errors, giving the Giants 10 during a season-high six-game losing streak. Besides the defense, the Giants have struggled in the clutch. Pinch hitter Mac Williamson's game-tying double in the eighth off Andrew Miller was their only hit in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position and San Francisco is 7-for-51 in those situations during this skid." We hit a couple of balls hard, but we didn't get a break, I thought, today," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "And that's the way it goes. When you're in winning streaks, everything goes right. Right now, it's not going well for us. But still, you make your breaks. We've got to tighten up and play crisper ball." New York's pitching has shined this week after Masahiro Tanaka allowed four hits in six innings, highlighting his outing by working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. New York's starters have allowed one run or less in five of the last six games and Ivan Nova will be tasked with continuing the run of effectiveness. One of the best outings of Ivan Nova's career took place against the Giants. On Sept. 21, 2013 in New York, he pitched a six-hitter. It was his second career shutout and he is 15-19 with a 5.24 ERA in 41 appearances. Nova is one of six pitchers since 1900 who have thrown at least nine scoreless innings against the Giants but has not looked like that pitcher for most of this season. Nova is 7-5 with a 4.92 ERA and is coming off one of his best starts. In Monday's win over the Baltimore Orioles, he allowed one run in six innings and over his last three starts, he has a 3.24 ERA after posting a 7.52 mark in his previous five. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija would also like to get things turnaround. Although he made the All-Star team and is 9-5, Samardzjia is 2-2 with a 6.02 ERA in his last eight starts. His previous outing was last Saturday's 7-6 loss in San Diego when he allowed five runs (four earned) and five hits in five innings and did not get a decision. Before this skid, he has been 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA. Samardzija has faced the Yankees three times and is 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA in those games. Last year he faced New York while pitching for the Chicago White Sox and allowed nine earned runs in 4 2/3 innings on Aug. 2. San Francisco may be without Buster Posey, who left Friday's game in the fourth inning with a right foot contusion. He had x-rays after getting injured on a foul ball off his foot and is day-to-day." It just wasn't really feeling better," Posey said. "Good thing is, x-rays are negative, so hopefully we'll get it feeling good as soon as possible."

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