Pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija came off the bench to tag-team on a key run Sunday, helping the San Francisco Giants salvage a four-game split with the Washington Nationals with a 3-1 victory in the series finale.
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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain delivers against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 31, 2016, in San Francisco.
Pence returned from his minor league rehab assignment Friday night and was in the lineup Saturday against the Washington Nationals, batting fifth and starting in right field.
Samardzija scored from second on a bad throw from Nats third baseman Anthony Rendon off Hunter Pence’s ground ball.
Bryce Harper led off the sixth with a single, scoring on a double, but that represented the totality of the Nationals’ offense Sunday. Previous Giants pitchers to win 100 games in the San Francisco era of the franchise were RHP Juan Marichal (238), RHP Gaylord Perry (134), RHP Tim Lincecum (108), LHP Kirk Rueter (105) and LHP Mike McCormick (104).
Span said Saturday that he thought the ball had bounced, and when Zimmermann was going to first base, it was to force Crawford and not double off Posey.
Two innings later, Gonzalez appeared to pitch his way out of a jam when he got Hunter Pence to ground to third with two outs and a man on second. He battled his command, walking four hitters and hitting another, but also struck out five to win his second consecutive decision – the first time Cain has done that since May 2013.
“That hit me after the game was over”, Cain said”.
Gonzalez (6-9) allowed two runs (one earned), six hits and two walks in six innings.
Cain’s wildness left him at 93 pitches after the fifth, at which point manager Bruce Bochy started to go off-script.
San Francisco hopes Pence will bring some much-needed life to a club that had lost 11 of 13 since the All-Star break.
The Giants bullpen did spotless work after Jake Peavy allowed four runs in four innings.
Trevor Brown drew a bases-loaded walk from Blake Treinen in the seventh to give San Francisco an insurance run. “I guess you could say he was effectively wild a little bit today”.
After the game, Bochy said outfielder Mac Williamson has been listed as “day-to-day” after jamming his shoulder while trying to make a diving catch in the sixth inning.
So is center fielder Denard Span, who locked legs at first base on his infield single in the eighth inning. “The one thing I never do is fake something like that”. Nunez led off and played shortstop, giving regular Brandon Crawford a breather.
Getting a second straight win over the Giants and securing their hold on the second-best record in baseball was far more important than the souvenir to manager Dusty Baker and his ballclub.
Oh. And did we mention that Bochy lifted Cain with a no-hitter through five innings?
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OUR PICK: The Giants have won six of Cain’s last seven home starts against the Nationals, who are now just 2-5 in their last seven games in San Francisco. His last two starts have been outstanding.
