SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants hoped the home-field advantage in the final three games of the regular season would work to their benefit in the race with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West crown.Turns out, it wont.That said, the Giants are still glad to be at AT&T Park this weekend.San Francisco needs a series win -- perhaps even a sweep -- against Los Angeles in the three-game set that begins Friday night. But it is not the Dodgers that San Francisco is battling.The Giants (84-75) are sandwiched between the New York Mets (85-74) and St. Louis Cardinals (83-76) in the three-team battle for the two NL wild cards. The Mets lead the Giants by one game, with the Cardinals currently on the outside looking in, one game back of San Francisco.Its exciting, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team retained its lead over the Cardinals with a 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night. We wish we were in a better position, but you dont stop fighting.The Dodgers, meanwhile, clinched the NL West last Sunday, and they have little to play for as the series begins.Los Angeles is locked into a first-round playoff matchup with the Washington Nationals, champs of the NL East. That series will open in Washington unless the Dodgers (91-68) can catch the Nationals (93-66) in the overall standings.The Dodgers won the season series from the Nationals 5-1, so they would get home-field advantage in the best-of-five should the teams finish the regular season in a tie.San Francisco staff ace Madison Bumgarner will duel Los Angeles newcomer Rich Hill in the Giants-Dodgers series opener.Bumgarner (14-9, 2.71 ERA) will get a rematch with the Dodgers after he wasnt involved in the decision Sept. 19 at Los Angeles in a thriller the Dodgers won 2-1 by scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth.The left-hander shut out Los Angeles on one hit over seven innings that night before getting into a scuffle with Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig near first base at the end of the seventh. Bochy chose to pull his standout at that point.The loss was costly for the Giants. They fell six games off the pace in the division and never seriously challenged the Dodgers again.The Giants now find themselves needing to beat their rivals just to join them in the postseason.Bumgarner is 13-9 with a 2.66 ERA in 26 career outings (25 starts) against the Dodgers.The Dodgers initially slotted their ace, Clayton Kershaw, in the Friday game, but they pushed him back to Saturday as a precaution.Kershaw hasnt allowed an earned run in his past three starts, covering 18 innings, as he works his way back into form following a 10-week absence caused by a back injury. He hasnt thrown more than 91 pitches in any of those starts.Getting Kershaw back on top of his game is critical for the Dodgers because, if fully healthy, he would be a possibility to start a potential Game 4 against the Nationals on three days rest. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts already has announced that his ace will go in Game 1.Its definitely an issue, Roberts said recently of Kershaws conditioning after the long layoff. (Pitching him on short rest) would be an honest conversation depending on where were at. Im not prepared to have that yet.While Kershaw enjoys his extra day of rest, Hill will get the call Friday. The lefty is 3-2 with a 1.53 ERA in five starts since joining Los Angeles in a trade-deadline deal with the Oakland As. Overall, he is 12-5 with a 2.05 ERA in 19 starts this year.In two starts against the Giants this year, Hill is 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA, improving his career mark against San Francisco to 3-2 with a 2.60 ERA in seven starts. Greg Olsen Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Ryan Kalil Womens Jersey . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-greg-little-blue-jersey/ .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Luke Kuechly Youth Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Christian Miller Womens Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU.The World Anti-Doping Agency are disturbed by media reports that claim Kenyan athletes were asked to pay a bribe in return for doping suspensions being reduced. Joy Sakari and Francisca Koki Manunga were given four-year suspensions in November 2015 for anti-doping violations but the pair have claimed they were asked for a $24,000 (£16,500) payment by an Athletics Kenya official for a reduction of sanctions.WADA director general David Howman revealed his concern over the reports and said in a statement: WADA is most disturbed by these reports regarding extortion and bribery at the national level of sport. [They are] eerily similar sounding to what we learnt through the recent Independent Commission investigation into widespread doping in International Athletics.WADA will of course require more detailed information on these allegations from those concerned so that we can determine if this is a matter for us to investigate or for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Ethics Commission as part of its own inquuiries.dddddddddddd.The allegations we have heard this week also illustrate the importance of having a robust, independent National Anti Doping Organization (NADO) fully functional in Kenya at the earliest opportunity.This is a vital step for a country of Kenyas sporting stature to take if it is to effectively protect clean athletes.The claims have been dismissed by Isaac Mwangi, chief executive officer of Kenyan Athletics, although he says the report will be followed up.Its just a fabrication because according to the rules, if you are caught doping, the sanction is very standard, he told Reuters.Its very interesting that people are saying that they are being asked for money because once the decision is heard and determined, its very clear there is no way Athletics Kenya can reduce the suspensions.These are just allegations that we will definitely follow up and get to know what is the motive behind this. 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