SAN FRANCISCO -- After slow starts to the season, Ryan Vogelsong and Pablo Sandoval have had a resurgence that has helped send the San Francisco Giants to the top of the standings. Vogelsong struck out seven in 6 2-3 innings of a second straight scoreless start and Pablo Sandoval homered for the fourth time in six games to lead the Giants to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night. "I feel like when Im out there, I can throw anything in any count," Vogelsong said. "Thats a great feeling. Its not always like that, but the last couple of games it has been that way. It definitely helps your mentality on the mound." Vogelsong (3-2) followed up seven scoreless innings against Miami by limiting the Twins to three hits and one walk to give him a 1.35 ERA in his past six starts. The win gave the Giants (31-18) the best record in baseball. Josmil Pinto broke up the shutout bid with a leadoff homer in the ninth inning against Sergio Romo, but that was all the Twins could manage. Romo retired the next three batters to get his 16th save in 18 chances. Samuel Deduno (1-3) allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings after being moved up a day in Minnesotas rotation, but ended up on the short end because of the performances from Vogelsong and Sandoval. Sandoval got off to a slow start in a contract year and was batting under .200 as late as May 13. But he has found his stroke of late to lead the way for San Francisco. "He has his timing and he has his confidence going," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That usually comes with success. That was the longest tough streak he has ever gone through. It looks like he has come out of it and is making great contact right now." Sandoval gave San Francisco the lead for good in his first at-bat for the second straight night, sending an 0-2 pitch from Deduno over the wall in left-centre to lead off the second inning with his sixth homer of the season. It was a rare two-strike hit for Sandoval, who came in with just five hits in 79 at-bats for an .063 average after reaching two strikes. "I missed a changeup," Deduno said. "I like to throw it on the ground, but it was just a little bit up. Thats why he hit it." Sandoval added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning after a poor throw from second baseman Brian Dozier cost the Twins the chance at a double play. That was enough for Vogelsong, who pitched out of trouble in the first three innings before finding his groove. The Twins had a runner on second with one out in each of the first three innings, but couldnt score against Vogelsong, who has rebounded after posting a 7.71 ERA in his first four starts. "He was throwing good cutters to both sides of the plate," Twins outfielder Jason Kubel said. "If youre thinking cutter, hell throw the straight one in at you, too, and it gets guys to chase. Hes got a good curveball. When hes got his pitches, hes tough to hit." Vogelsong was replaced after making a throwing error on Aaron Hicks comebacker with two outs and no on in the seventh. Juan Gutierrez got pinch-hitter Chris Herrmann to ground out to escape the inning. NOTES: The Giants improved to 23-4 when scoring first. ... Minnesota OF Josh Willingham (left wrist) is expected to be activated from the DL on Monday when the team opens a four-game homestand vs. Texas. Oswaldo Arcia (right wrist) is also expected to be activated. ... Giants RHP Matt Cain will miss his scheduled start Monday because of an injured hamstring that did not feel 100 per cent during a pregame bullpen session. Yusmeiro Petit will start in his place. ... Madison Bumgarner (5-3) will start the series finale for San Francisco against Ricky Nolasco (2-4). Paul George Shoes Cheap . Unlike last year when nobody got in, there have been estimates of as many as five getting voted in this time around and as few as one, Greg Maddux. Outlet Air Max 1 . - No matter the lineup or location, the San Antonio Spurs are rolling through the NBA again this spring, just the way they have for most of the last two decades. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.c...oes.html.Dawson also birdied two of the last four holes to reach 12-under 132 on TPC San Antonios AT&T Canyons Course. He won his only title in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in 2002 in the Web.com Tours LaSalle Bank Open.Im not going to lose any sleep, believe me, Dawson said. I used to be a perfectionist, but my attitude now is to play like Im in the pro-am. Kyrie Irving Shoes From China . They named Mark Washington as their defensive co-ordinator on Thursday and appear to be closing in on an offensive co-ordinator. Fake Air Max 1 For Sale . Toronto ended an 0-4-0 skid with Sundays shootout win over visiting New Jersey, but the club could have a difficult time making it two victories in a row tonight. The Maple Leafs have dropped three straight and 11 of the last 12 regular- season meetings against Boston overall and the Bruins have claimed six straight in Beantown.DETROIT -- Gustav Nyquist is making the most of his opportunity to play a lot for the injury-depleted Detroit Red Wings. Nyquist had two goals and Jimmy Howard made 31 saves to help the Red Wings hold on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Nyquist has 19 goals in 43 games after he had a total of four goals in 40 games spread out over the previous two seasons in the league. Entering the game against Toronto, he was tied with Bostons Jarome Iginla with an NHL-high 12 goals since Jan. 20. "I didnt know that," Nyquist said. "Im just playing with some good players and Im getting some good bounces." While Nyquist is being humble about his goal-scoring stretch, teammate Daniel Alfredsson raved about the fellow Swede. "Hes really pesky on the forecheck and hes making a lot of plays," Alfredsson said. "His speed gives him chances that other players dont get. The second goal was a perfect example." Early in the third period, Nyquist poked the puck off the boards to himself and charged up the ice early to flick a wrist shot from the right circle that beat James Reimers blocker. That goal seemed to set the Red Wings up for the victory, but they still had work to do. Jake Gardiner scored on a power play midway through the third to pull Toronto within a goal. The Maple Leafs appeared to tie the game less than two minutes later, but Nazem Kardris goal was waved off because he made a kicking motion to knock the puck in with the inside of his right skate. The Red Wings went ahead by two goals again with 2:33 left when Alfredssons wrist shot from the slot hit the back of the net on an odd-man rush that Gardiner lamented. "I thought we were going to come back at the end, but we made a mistake," Gardiner said. The Maple Leafs pulled Reimer to add an extra skater seconds later and James van Riemsdyk scored with 1:13 left, but couldnt get the puck past Howard again to extend the game past regulation. "Not a lot of space out on the ice," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. Reimer stoppped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs.dddddddddddd Detroit is desperately trying to move up in the Eastern Conference standings to extend its post-season streak to 23 with a fraction of the team it expected to have this season. Toronto is the first of two wild-card teams in the East, and the Red Wings wouldnt make the playoffs is they started Wednesday. "A huge win for us," Nyquist said. "Also very important they didnt get a point too and we got two." The Red Wings lost forward Justin Abdelkader to a leg laceration in Sundays loss at Chicago, leading to the team calling up 22-year-old Landon Ferraro, son of former NHL player Ray Ferraro. "I was a little nervous at the beginning," Landon Ferraro acknowledged. Ferraro said it was "awesome" to have both his parents watch him play his first game for the Red Wings. "It was real nice for both of them to be able to get in and be here for this," he said before chatting with his father in the dressing room after the game. Abdelkaders injury also put 25-year-old defenceman Brendan Smith at forward for the first time since he was a teenager against Toronto. The banged-up team, which had won just two of their previous seven games, took another hit against the Maple Leafs. The Red Wings started the game with numerous forwards, including Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, due to injuries and lost defenceman Jonathan Ericsson because of a broken finger. "We get somebody hurt every day and they never come back," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I guess hes out for a bit. I dont really know. A hand specialist is looking at him." NOTES: The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings in their previous meeting, a 3-2 shootout on New Years Day in the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, after losing the first matchup this season 5-4 in a shootout at home. ... Abdelkader is expected to be out for two weeks. ... Toronto, which closed its road trip 2-3, hosts Tampa Bay on Wednesday. ... Detroits next game is Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. ' ' '