Pence was hurt in the at-bat after Brandon Belt’s two-run homer gave the Giants a 2-0 lead.
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Bumgarner started the scoring off Braves pitcher Aaron Blair with a towering two-run shot to left that left his bat at 109 miles per hour. Atlanta is 16-36, the worst start through 52 games in franchise history since the 1911 Boston Braves opened the season 12-40.
Bumgarner connected after a leadoff walk by Gregor Blanco. He did not get a decision Saturday at Colorado, allowing one run on five hits to lower opponents’ batting average against him to.196 in his past seven outings.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game for a reason and he definitely showed that today”.
It was just the fourth time since the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 that they hit three homers in the same inning and first time with a trio of two-run blasts.
It is his second right hamstring injury in two weeks.
The San Francisco Giants placed right fielder Hunter Pence on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday after he reinjured his right hamstring. He then pulled up when running to first base in Wednesday night’s game. The Giants recalled outfielder Mac Williamson from Triple-A Sacramento.
It got a bit dicey late in last night’s game between the Braves and Giants: Atlanta, already short of position players, lost Gordon Beckham in the sixth inning as he attempted to out-run a double-play grounder.
The Giants are hopeful of getting Angel Pagan – also a hamstring victim twice this season – back from the disabled list when eligible next Wednesday, but the absence of Pence will be a blow to the first-place team in the National League West.
Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (8-1, 2.31), coming off a week in which he was 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA, is to start at St. Louis on Friday. All came on first pitches as Blair fell to 0-4 with a 7.55 ERA.
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Francoeur had been the Braves’ biggest asset against lefties, hitting.348/.343/.478, and had produced five extra-base hits and 11 RBI, but he’d go 0 for 3 vs. Bumgarner with three Ks.
