Nationals manager Dusty Baker didn’t have Rivero, so Petit remained in the game to face Panik, whose sacrifice fly was deep enough to score Posey without a throw. On a day when the Nationals acquired a new closer, the Giants’ new utility infielder, Eduardo Nunez, was one of the heroes in the win.
Advertisement
The San Francisco Giants activated outfielder Hunter Pence from the 15-day disabled list Saturday after being out for two months with a torn hamstring.
Matt Cain was pitching very well on Sunday – having held the Nationals hitless through five innings at AT&T Park. “He’s one of our guys”.
The 31-year-old scored when Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon made a throwing error on a Hunter Pence grounder.
“We needed a couple of wins in a row”, Bochy said after the Giants had lost 4-2 and 4-1 decisions to the Nationals on Thursday and Friday.
“You’re taught to freeze, and that’s what I did”, Span said. “He’s definitely a big boost”. Nuez led off the first inning with his first hit as a Giant, and then he added his first NL stolen base along with the AL-leading 27 that he swiped for the Minnesota Twins. He got his first at-bat Friday. Panik flied out, Blanco struck out and Nuez baptized himself as a Giant by popping up with the bases loaded. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth inning, Giants batter Brandon Crawford hit a line drive right at Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Crawford entered for defense in the ninth Saturday. They’re also 1-6 in his last seven starts coming off four days of rest but have won five of his last six home starts against a team with a winning record.
Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer in the third for the Nationals, who couldn’t protect an early 3-0 lead hours after acquiring All-Star closer Mark Melancon from the Pittsburgh Pirates to replace the struggling Jonathan Papelbon.
Gonzalez (6-9) took the loss despite allowing just one earned run in six innings. And the Giants (60-44) won for just the third time in 14 games since the All-Star break.
The Nationals finally got their first hit in the sixth inning, and they scored their first run that inning as well. Casilla was among five Giants relievers who combined to allow one run on three hits over four innings. “We didn’t give him much support”.
In the field: Mac Williamson was injured while trying to make a diving catch in the sixth. With trade winds swirling around both teams, Bochy and Baker are comforted in knowing they’ve got veteran starting pitchers going Sunday. 3B Matt Duffy (left Achilles strain) was starting a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento then set to go to Double-A Richmond while the Giants are on the East Coast so he will be nearby.
The Giants opened the scoring in the third thanks in large part to another Nationals error.
Advertisement
Cain said the significance of reaching 100 wins only hit him after the game. Previous Giants pitchers to win 100 games in the West Coast era of the franchise were RHP Juan Marichal (238), RHP Gaylord Perry (134), Lincecum (108), LHP Kirk Rueter (105) and LHP Mike McCormick (104).
