Atlanta 1
San Francisco 7
Sunday, May 28, 2017 04:05 PM
(ET)
Cueto guides Giants to series win over Braves
The Sports Xchange
May 28, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants, who have scored fewer runs than any team in the majors except the San Diego Padres, crushed the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Sunday.
That followed the six runs the Giants picked up in a Saturday night win. In the four games before that, all defeats, San Francisco scored six runs total.
Giants starter Johnny Cueto, bothered in recent games by blisters on his pitching hand, stopped his three-game losing streak. Cueto (5-4) allowed six hits and walk and one run while striking out eight and walking one in six innings.
San Francisco, in winning the rubber game of the three-game series at AT&T Park, beat Atlanta knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, a nemesis who had a 2.88 career ERA against the Giants, his fourth-best mark against any club he had faced more than three times.
However, the Giants, on a combination of their own hitting, including singles in both the first and second inning by Eduardo Nunez, and Dickey's wildness -- five walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball -- scored two runs the first and four in the second.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher, said the knuckler is a tough pitch but not an impossible one to hit.
"People make too much about the pitch," he said. "It's just a matter of adjusting, like to any other pitcher. The ball comes in and you swing."
Which, beginning with Nunez, second in the order, is exactly what San Francisco did. After a leadoff walk by Denard Span, Nunez singled to center, Brandon Belt walked and Buster Posey walked. Nunez dashed in from third and the other runners advanced on a passed ball, and Brandon Crawford grounded out to get Belt home.
Joe Panik began the second with a shot to the 421-foot sign in center, an area the Giants call "Triples Alley." Panik did get his triple, and he scored on a Gorkys Hernandez single. Later in the inning, Nunez hit an RBI single, and Crawford had a two-run single. after more hits and walks.
Cueto's sacrifice fly in the third inning gave San Francisco a 7-0 lead.
Atlanta got its lone run on Kurt Suzuki's sixth-inning groundout.
Dickey (3-4) wound up charged with seven runs (six earned) in six innings. He allowed six hits and struck out two.
Bryan Morris, Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin each pitched a scoreless inning for the Giants.
NOTES: Braves CF Ender Inciartre doubled in the fifth inning, his 36th hit of the month. He is second in the National League in hits during May behind Colorado's Charlie Blackmon, who has 39. ... The Braves go down the coast but change leagues on Memorial Day, facing the Angels at Anaheim. Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (3-4, 4.88) will oppose Angels RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-4, 4.37 ERA). ... San Francisco C Buster Posey has not struck out in his past 55 plate appearances, longest streak in the majors. He went 0-for-2 with two walks. ... The Giants play host to Washington on Monday, with San Francisco LHP Matt Moore (2-5, 5.28 ERA) facing Nationals RHP Tanner Roark (4-2, 4.32).
May 28, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants, who have scored fewer runs than any team in the majors except the San Diego Padres, crushed the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Sunday.
That followed the six runs the Giants picked up in a Saturday night win. In the four games before that, all defeats, San Francisco scored six runs total.
Giants starter Johnny Cueto, bothered in recent games by blisters on his pitching hand, stopped his three-game losing streak. Cueto (5-4) allowed six hits and walk and one run while striking out eight and walking one in six innings.
San Francisco, in winning the rubber game of the three-game series at AT&T Park, beat Atlanta knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, a nemesis who had a 2.88 career ERA against the Giants, his fourth-best mark against any club he had faced more than three times.
However, the Giants, on a combination of their own hitting, including singles in both the first and second inning by Eduardo Nunez, and Dickey's wildness -- five walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball -- scored two runs the first and four in the second.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher, said the knuckler is a tough pitch but not an impossible one to hit.
"People make too much about the pitch," he said. "It's just a matter of adjusting, like to any other pitcher. The ball comes in and you swing."
Which, beginning with Nunez, second in the order, is exactly what San Francisco did. After a leadoff walk by Denard Span, Nunez singled to center, Brandon Belt walked and Buster Posey walked. Nunez dashed in from third and the other runners advanced on a passed ball, and Brandon Crawford grounded out to get Belt home.
Joe Panik began the second with a shot to the 421-foot sign in center, an area the Giants call "Triples Alley." Panik did get his triple, and he scored on a Gorkys Hernandez single. Later in the inning, Nunez hit an RBI single, and Crawford had a two-run single. after more hits and walks.
Cueto's sacrifice fly in the third inning gave San Francisco a 7-0 lead.
Atlanta got its lone run on Kurt Suzuki's sixth-inning groundout.
Dickey (3-4) wound up charged with seven runs (six earned) in six innings. He allowed six hits and struck out two.
Bryan Morris, Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin each pitched a scoreless inning for the Giants.
NOTES: Braves CF Ender Inciartre doubled in the fifth inning, his 36th hit of the month. He is second in the National League in hits during May behind Colorado's Charlie Blackmon, who has 39. ... The Braves go down the coast but change leagues on Memorial Day, facing the Angels at Anaheim. Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (3-4, 4.88) will oppose Angels RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-4, 4.37 ERA). ... San Francisco C Buster Posey has not struck out in his past 55 plate appearances, longest streak in the majors. He went 0-for-2 with two walks. ... The Giants play host to Washington on Monday, with San Francisco LHP Matt Moore (2-5, 5.28 ERA) facing Nationals RHP Tanner Roark (4-2, 4.32).
