Giants, Athletics both on the rise ahead of two-game set

(Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports)
The San Francisco Giants' hopes of improving their standing in the National League wild-card race will have to come at the expense of their local rivals when the Oakland Athletics host a two-game series starting Saturday afternoon.

The Giants, just 49-55 on the morning of July 26 and a potentialseller at the trade deadline, took advantage of a bubble in their schedule to g