Could clash between Nick Hundley, Yasiel Puig fuel Giants for late-season run?

(Editor's note: Wednesday's Giants-Dodgers game ended too late to be included in Thursday's Press Democrat.)

LOS ANGELES - When Nick Hundley stunned the Dodgers with a two-out, two-run single to lead the Giants to a 5-2 comeback win Monday, several Giants players were asked whether their victory could spark a late-season run.

Hundley and his teammates used the opportunity to reiterate the internal sense of confidence emanating from the clubhouse, but most tried to keep the win in perspective.

“It's a big win for us for sure,” Hundley said Monday. “Whenever Bum starts against another ace like Clayton (Kershaw), it's a big matchup. It's must-see TV and one of those games the best in the world are playing so it's fun to come out on top.”

After Hundley and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig went face-to-face in a Tuesday fight that led players from both dugouts to race onto the field in the seventh inning, the Giants are now looking to seize the momentum an emotionally charged victory can provide.

Thanks to Alen Hanson's two-out RBI single off Kenta Maeda in the ninth inning, the Giants maintained their 5.0 game deficit in the National League West and sent the Dodgers tumbling to third place. The tone in the clubhouse following Tuesday's game was decidedly different.

“I was proud of our guys, they were in there in a heartbeat,” Hundley said. “That's something that's going to bring us even closer together. This is a really tight-knit group. We'll feed off that, that's a great win.”

The mild-mannered Hundley is in his 11th major league season and often sounds like a manager when addressing reporters. As Puig stood in the home clubhouse and explained what he felt caused the confrontation, Hundley didn't want to divulge too many details.

“That's stuff that's said on the field,” Hundley said. “That'll be left out there.”

Though Hundley doesn't play every day, he's a well-respected leader and the reigning Willie Mac Award winner. After his ejection, he was forced to watch the rest of the Giants' victory from the clubhouse.

“It was tough being in the clubhouse watching it because you want to be in the game and you want to be able to finish, but I made choices that didn't allow me to,” Hundley said. “That's probably the hardest I've rooted all year for a win and we got it done.”

The Giants have taken issue with Puig's flair for the dramatic and fiery antics through the years, but manager Bruce Bochy said he's not concerned it has an adverse effect on his club.

“The game has changed a lot, it really has,” Bochy said. “I don't get caught up into it as much as we've got to try to get these guys out and try to win a ballgame. I don't let the little things bother me as much anymore.”

Can the Giants take inspiration from back-to-back ninth inning victories and surge up the standings?

A week ago, it would have been wiser to bet on the team landing free agent Bryce Harper in the offseason than picking the Giants to win the NL West, but a window of opportunity remains open.

The Giants have yet to prove they're more than a .500 team, but after leaving Los Angeles, they'll play 10 straight against teams at least 15 games back in their respective divisions.

Over the final two weeks of the season, the Giants will also play six games against the Padres and finish the year at home against a Dodgers team that could still be fighting to lock up a playoff berth.

While the Giants have had favorable stretches of their schedule earlier in the season and failed to gain any ground, there's a growing sense of urgency as time runs out.

Though a playoff berth remains unlikely for the Giants, they're in far better position after winning three in a row and taking two straight from the Dodgers than they were a week ago.

Crawford returns to lineup, Panik scheduled to play more

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford will need to pass additional tests prior to Wednesday's game, but he cleared concussion protocol and was available to pinch hit Tuesday.

Crawford collided with left fielder Gorkys Hernández while pursuing a flyball in the fourth inning Monday and sat out Tuesday's game.

“I mean I probably could have played,” Crawford said. “But like I said, for precautionary reasons, just in case something happened again yesterday like getting hit in the head again…it wouldn't have been very good.”

Crawford is in the starting lineup Wednesday, but second baseman Joe Panik will sit for the third straight game. Panik has been used infrequently against left-handed pitchers since returning from the disabled list, but with a slew of right-handers scheduled to face the Giants on their next road trip, Bochy acknowledged Panik will see more at-bats.

“He's going to get his at-bats in and it does allow d'Arnaud and Hanson to get some playing time but once we get on the road here, it's going to be the other way,” Bochy said. “I'll have a couple of guys sitting from the right side.”

Giants skipping fifth starter

The Giants will use Thursday's off day to skip the fifth starter's spot in their rotation.

Instead of allowing each pitcher to have an extra day of rest, Bochy will keep his starting staff as is and use Dereck Rodríguez, Madison Bumgarner and Andrew Suárez this weekend against Cincinnati.

Bochy rarely misses an opportunity to build in additional rest for pitchers, but injuries to Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto have left the Giants short-handed. Ty Blach and Casey Kelly were both candidates to start against the Reds, but the duo will remain in the bullpen.

Samardzija, Strickland progressing

Samardzija (shoulder inflammation) will face hitters Friday in Cincinnati in a simulated game and if all goes well, Bochy said the right-hander will begin a rehab assignment.

It's unlikely Samardzija will rejoin the starting staff before September, but reliever Hunter Strickland is eligible to return from the disabled list August 18.

Strickland (fractured hand) will pitch on back-to-back days for the first time since beginning his rehab assignment as he's scheduled to throw for Triple-A Sacramento Wednesday after throwing a scoreless inning Tuesday.

Strickland has struck out two batters in four of his five rehab appearances.