LOS ANGELES (AP) — Buster Posey and the surprising San Francisco Giants continue their pivotal four-game series against the rival Dodgers. The star catcher hit a two-run homer his first time up Monday night after missing two weeks with a bruised left thumb, and San Francisco won the opener 7-2 in Los Angeles. The Giants, in first place since May 31, lead the NL West by two games over the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
Among the other games on the schedule:
— Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola returns to the mound in New York against the Yankees after missing his last scheduled start because of COVID-19 contact tracing. Nola never tested positive for the coronavirus but was sidelined after teammate Alec Bohm did. Domingo Germán pitches for the Yankees.
— The American League-worst Baltimore Orioles get their top pitcher back when John Means returns from the injured list to start at Tampa Bay. Means looked like an early contender for the AL Cy Young Award before he was sidelined by a shoulder injury in early June. He is 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 12 starts, including a no-hitter at Seattle on May 5 that was a dropped third strike from being a perfect game.
— The NL East-leading New York Mets continue their series at Cincinnati without manager Luis Rojas, whose outburst after a bizarre play Sunday in Pittsburgh led to a two-game suspension. Rojas was livid at umpires for calling a ball fair that starting pitcher Taijuan Walker swatted toward the dugout, thinking it was foul. The gaffe led to three Pirates crossing the plate when no Mets player went to retrieve the ball.