For the second straight day, the Giants racked up double-digit hits against the Nationals in Washington D.C..
Saturday, San Francisco got equal production from both the top and bottom half of its order. Five of their 10 hits came from hitters six through nine.
They crushed some balls — four knocks had exit velocities of at least 100 mph — and also got crafty with two bunt singles.
The 10-hit, five-run afternoon gave starter Alex Wood and a rested bullpen ample support. He earned the win in SF’s 5-2 victory that sets the Giants (10-5) up a sweep opportunity Sunday.
Wood began his third start by tearing through the Nationals’ lineup like he does when he’s at his best: quickly and efficiently.
The veteran lefty retired the side in order in the first and fourth innings. He got through four frames in 53 pitches, allowing just three base runners — one of whom reached on Wilmer Flores’ third error of the season.
The Giants gave Wood an early run to work with when Darin Ruf initiated a two-out rally with a walk. Brandon Crawford soon after drove him in with an opposite-field single; the shortstop hit .167 in his first seven games, but has gone 9-for-30 with 6 RBI in the past seven.
Former Giants starter Aaron Sanchez didn’t allow a baserunner from the second to the fourth inning, but SF put up a crooked number in the fifth, knocking the starter out in the process.
Luis González recorded his first RBI as a Giant with a sacrifice fly. Curt Casali, Darin Ruf and Joc Pederson followed suit. Brandon Belt was hit by a pitch then slid into second base late in a force out play. He got up slowly but jogged off the field and remained in the game.
It was a long inning for Wood to watch from the visitor’s dugout, but he stayed locked in enough to retire the first two Nationals of the inning in five pitches. But then Riley Adams tagged him for a solo home run on a low and inside slider. Then he left two fastballs over the middle of the plate, to Victor Robles and then Lane Thomas, to allow another run.
Wood bounced back after a mound visit by getting Juan Soto to strike out looking — a rarity for the superstar whose superpower is a complete control of the strike zone. Although he lasted only five innings, it was another strong start for Wood, whose ERA now stands at 2.55 after three starts.
The Giants’ high-leverage relievers enjoyed a rare respite Friday as San Francisco jumped out to an early even-run lead and its bullpen game shut down the Nationals. So Dominic Leone, John Brebbia, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval blanked Washington for four innings.
This series, Giants relievers have pitched 13 one-run innings, carrying momentum from Friday’s bullpen game into Game 2. Saturday, they were the third phase of an all-around productive game.
