The good news for the Giants is that they didn't strand any runners in the top of the eighth inning. They've had a problem with that throughout the game, leaving 11 runners on base, and going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The bad news is that they couldn't strand what they didn't have, and Jason Motte shut the Giants down in order in the inning, retiring Gregor Blanco, Brandon Crawford, and pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff on three consecutive shallow fly balls. Motte is on leg one of the rare and elusive two-inning save, but he threw only nine pitches in the effort.

In the top of the ninth, the Giants will have Angel Pagan, Marco Scutaro, and Pablo Sandoval up to face Motte again.