"Carlos Beltran hit two bombs Wednesday that the San Diego Padres couldn't bring back, and the second was historic -- the 300th home run of his major league career.

Beltran's homers backed seven strong innings of pitching from Tim Lincecum, and the Giants won their fourth in a row, 3-1, to keep their minuscule postseason hopes alive.

But most people are already thinking about 2012, and Beltran's latest hitting display will no doubt stoke a mounting debate: Do the Giants try to bring Beltran back, and would he even be willing to re-sign with San Francisco once he becomes a free agent at season's end?

"That's a decision I'm going to make in the offseason, but right now, I haven't thought about it," he said. "Honestly, in the time that I've been here, I've had a good time. I've met a lot of good people, and I believe this team has a lot of ways to improve, and next year I know they'll have more players healthy like (Buster) Posey and Freddy Sanchez."

So maybe that's a maybe. Whatever, after finally shaking a right wrist injury to the extent that he can show what he's capable of -- even at daunting AT&T Park -- the notion has become a lot more tantalizing."