© Kiel Maddox | USA Today
SAN FRANCISCO – Hitting is contagious. That’s the old baseball adage anyway. And it held true for the Giants when they needed it most this Sunday. Following a streak of losing four straight and six of their last seven, the offense came alive for an 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The win avoided a four-game sweep by the Brewers, which would have been the second-ever time they swept the Giants in a four-game series.
Starter Andrew Suarez lasted six innings after allowing a two-run first. A pair of red-hot Brewers batters in Christian Yelich (9-for-17 in the series) and Ryan Braun (3-for-10 in the series) combined for a single and a home run to put the Giants in a 2-0 hole at the end of the first.
But after falling behind, the Giants did what they’d failed to do for the last week: hit the ball well.
In the third inning, Brewers starter Junior Guerra gave the Giants a gift of three-straight walks. With the bases loaded, Buster Posey – who grounded out to third on Friday night with the bases loaded – ripped a double to left-center field, scoring everyone. After Brandon Crawford singled to right field to move Posey to third, Evan Longoria hit a deep fly ball to center, scoring Posey and giving the Giants a 4-2 lead.
In the fourth inning, Gorkys Hernandez – who was 1-for-9 in his last four games – pulled himself out of his slump in spectacular fashion, hitting a solo shot to deep center field. Suarez followed behind him with a single to left field – his second major-league hit – before Andrew McCutchen struck out to end the inning.
After the Brewers added a run in the top of the fifth, the Giants responded with three runs of their own. After Posey – who finished the game 4-for-5 – singled Evan Longoria walked, Pablo Sandoval – who was 3-for his last 17 at-bats – stepped in. With the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Panda tore a triple down the right-field line to score both Longoria and Posey.
Sandoval’s athleticism was on full display on the next play, as Steven Duggar hit a short fly ball to right field. Sandoval tagged at third, just beating Yelich’s throw from right field to give the Giants an 8-3 lead. Sandoval was replaced at first base in the top half of the next inning by Austin Slater, who was making his second first base appearance since a high chopper bounced off his chest
After Hernán Perez hit a solo home run in the sixth and a pinch-hitting Chris Shaw hit the first pinch-hit home run of his career in the seventh, Slater provided excellent defense at first to get the Giants out of the inning.
With Yelich stealing from first, Slater ranged over to the first base side and reached over the railing near the Brewers’ dugout to make the catch. He whipped the ball to first where Dyson was waiting just as Yelich got back to the bag. After Yelich was initially called safe, a challenge from bench coach Hensley Meulens – filling in for manager Bruce Bochy – saw the play overturned and ended the inning.
Bochy was not present Sunday, as he was attending Trevor Hoffman’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. He will return to the team Monday as they travel to San Diego to face the Padres, likely happier than he was while leaving on his red-eye flight after Saturday’s 7-1 loss.
However, the Giants had a chance to do even more damage on offense in the 7th inning, with a bases-loaded, no out situation in. Alen Hanson struck out looking, Hernandez hit into a force out at the plate, and Chase d’Arnaud hit a grounder to short to end the inning with three stranded baserunners.
The 8th inning saw two more baserunners stranded, as Posey and Crawford singled in back-to-back at-bats before Longoria and Slater followed with back-to-back strikeouts.
The win moves the Giants (53-54) back to within one game of .500, and five back of the second National League Wild Card spot. The team’s 13 hits are the most since a July 11 win against the Chicago Cubs, and the 12th time this season the Giants have had 13 or more hits in the game.