“It wasn’t like it was a ground ball to third base”.
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The combined no-hitter was immediately broken up upon Cain’s departure; George Kontos gave up a leadoff single to Bryce Harper, who eventually scored the Nats only run on Rendon’s double.
“I play the game with a lot of emotion and a lot of energy”, Pence said Friday.
“Especially with the way it worked out today, we got to use everybody to be a part of it”.
It took so much more than Matt Cain expected to win his 100th game in the big leagues.
Manager Bruce Bochy disappointed many when he removed Cain with a no-hitter in tact, but cheers rained down on AT&T Park when Madison Bumgarner was announced at the pinch hitter.
Once Bumgarner settled safely on second base, Bochy pinch ran for him – a tad weird.
Cain said the significance of reaching 100 wins only hit him after the game. Cain became the sixth pitcher to win 100 games in a San Francisco Giants uniform, joining two Hall of Famers (Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry), two Cy Young winners (Tim Lincecum and Mike McCormick) and a former fan favorite (Kirk Rueter).
He can’t remember another time he left with a no-hitter on the line.
“There’s no secret he’s our emotional, spiritual, whatever you want to go with, leader”, catcher Buster Posey said. The little things added up to a huge win for a scuffling team.
Santiago Casilla allowed the tying run to the plate in the ninth after hitting Zimmermann with a controversial pitch, even though the Nationals first baseman appeared to swing at it. Zimmermann mockingly waved his cap to the booing crowd.
NL West-leading San Francisco has won two straight since losing 11 of 13 following the All-Star break. Panik is 0 for 6 in his two games back from a concussion, and hitting third, he had a chance to snap the offensive vapor lock in the third inning when he came to bat with runners at second and third with one out after Span had singled and Angel Pagan doubled.
“He’s throwing strikes, not walking people and getting out of jams when he gets in them”, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. The Giants close out this home stand with their first winning streak of the second half and tied for the second-best record in baseball at 61-44.
They were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position Sunday and are batting.139 (19 for 137) in that department since the All-Star break. 3B Matt Duffy (left Achilles strain) took infield and ran the bases before the game in anticipation of beginning a rehab assignment.
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The Giants figure to have an opening in center field Sunday, with Denard Span likely to miss a second consecutive game because of a strained quad that occurred during a collision at first base in Friday’s game. Bochy challenged the call, but it was upheld. “It hit me after the game was over”. “He’s better as far as I know and they found what it is, so that’s great”, Baker said. “Don’t try to force things to happen.’ That was very good, to slow me down in the future”. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy (leg) was out of the lineup on Saturday and is day-to-day.3.
