Pablo Sandoval. John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
A day after the Bay Area witnessed the end of a season, title hopes and perhaps a dynasty, it turned its eyes to a team given a bigger stage and spotlight.
And for a night, if not a campaign, the Giants gave San Francisco something to smile about.
In the first game of a season-defining, 20-games-in-20-days stretch, in which the first 17 are against teams above .500, the Giants found a way to squeak past the Brewers, 5-3, in front of 35,106 at Oracle Park for their third-straight win.
Drew Pomeranz, throwing essentially just a fastball and improved curveball, looked like the pitcher the Giants (29-38) hoped he would be when they took a flier on him this offseason. In five-plus innings, he missed a lot of bats – his 11 swinging strikes were tied for the most of his season – and allowed two unearned runs against a powerful Brewers lineup in five-plus innings.
Milwaukee entered the NL Central’s best, but they were mostly quieted by the 30-year-old, who struck out five and allowed five hits and three walks. He’s now posted back-to-back solid starts after back-to-back stinkers and maybe revived some trade value in the process, while shrinking his ERA from 8.08 to 6.43.
While at times let down by his defense, Pomeranz was uplifted by his offense. Three Giants home runs – one apiece from Pablo Sandoval, Kevin Pillar and Mike Yastrzemski – accounted for all five of their runs.
It had started poorly for Pomeranz, who was the victim of a missed call and missed pitch. Orlando Arcia swung and missed at a curveball in the third inning, but home-plate umpire Paul Emmel ruled it a foul tip. Given new life, Arcia walked and moved to third on a single. He then scored on Buster Posey’s first passed ball of the season, putting the Giants in an early 1-0 hole.
Sandoval soon answered. Starting at first base with Brandon Belt shifted to left to get his bat in the lineup, Sandoval made Bruce Bochy look smart. With Belt on first in the fourth after a leadoff walk, Sandoval golfed a home run 379 feet to left, putting the Giants up, 2-1.
Pomeranz was again set back by his defense in the fifth, when a routine ground ball by Lorenzo Cain to shortstop Brandon Crawford was botched. Cain then stole second, and Christian Yelich turned a 93-mph fastball into an opposite-field single, as Cain scored easily to tie the game. Pomeranz rebounded to strike out Ryan Braun swinging.
The Giants took control in the fifth, when Kevin Pillar rocketed starter Zach Davies’ second pitch of the inning 381 feet to left for a home run and 3-2 lead the Giants would not relinquish.
Sam Dyson made it dicey, though. He got into immediate trouble in the seventh, Cain leading off with a slow roller between Sandoval, shifted to third, and Crawford. Sandoval fielded it but not cleanly, taking the extra half-second to release, and that’s all Cain needed to reach first. Yelich walked, but Dyson got the Ryan Braun ground ball he was looking for, Joe Panik stepping on second and getting the double play. Yasmani Grandal then grounded out to end the threat.
Pillar opened the seventh with a hard-hit single to left-center, his second hit of the night, then turned a pickoff into a disputed stolen base. He beat the throw and kicked up the base in the process, and he was ruled safe after a Brewers challenge. With one out, Yastrzemski crushed a slow changeup 411 feet to center field, driving in Pillar and pushing the lead to 5-2.
Mark Melancon loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, then bounced a curveball that got past Posey to make it 5-3. With the go-ahead run at the plate – and Yelich on deck – Melancon got Cain to fly out and limit the damage. Will Smith recorded the final three outs for his 17th save in as many chances.
