Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Box Score on May 15, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 16, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Matt Cain pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and the San Francisco Giants supported him with a four-run fourth inning Monday night, leading to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series.

Eduardo Nunez drove in three runs, two with an infield hit in the big fourth inning, and Buster Posey belted a solo home run, propelling the Giants to their fourth straight win.

Cain (3-1), who beat the Dodgers 2-1 on April 24, was equally effective in the rematch, limiting the National League West rival to one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Along the way, the 32-year-old pitched his 2,000th career inning, becoming the 12th player in Giants franchise history to reach the milestone.

Cain's home ERA in four starts this season is 1.19.

The Giants gave Cain the big offensive boost he needed with their four-run fourth off Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who was reinstated from the disabled list before the game.

With the score tied at 1-1, Brandon Belt and Posey got the uprising started with consecutive singles. Belt scored the tiebreaking run on a double by Brandon Crawford, setting up the key play of the night.

Nunez grounded weakly up the middle of the diamond, a ball Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was able to field behind second base.

Posey scored on the hit, and as Crawford also raced for home, Seager threw toward the plate, only to have the ball cut off by McCarthy near the pitcher's mound.

Unaware that he easily could have thrown out Crawford at the plate, McCarthy unsuccessfully went after Nunez at second base.

The play was ruled a two-run single, which produced a 4-1 lead.

After Nunez stole third base, he scored the inning's fourth run on a sacrifice fly by Christian Arroyo.

Posey's homer, his seventh of the season, came in a two-run seventh inning. Nunez capped the Giants' scoring with a double that plated Crawford, who had walked.

Posey, Nunez and Mac Williamson had two hits apiece for the Giants, who improved to 10-9 at home this season.

Chris Taylor had three hits, including an RBI double in a three-run ninth inning, for the Dodgers, who began a seven-game trip with a 2-2 split at Colorado over the previous four days.

Pitching for the first time since April 29 while dealing with soreness in his left shoulder, McCarthy (3-1) was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

The Dodgers drew first blood when Seager singled with two outs in the third inning and scored on a double by Yasmani Grandal.

Cain helped his own cause in the bottom of the inning, when the Giants got even.

After a one-out single by Williamson, Cain sacrificed the baserunner to second, and Williamson raced home on a bloop hit by Denard Span.

NOTES: The four-game winning streak is the Giants' longest since the last four games of the 2016 regular season. ... The Giants' eight-run output marked just the 15th time in RHP Matt Cain's 33 career starts against the Dodgers that he received more than two runs of support. ... Before the game, the Giants placed RF Hunter Pence (strained right hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list and summoned OF Mac Williamson from Triple-A Sacramento. ... Dodgers LHP Alex Wood was named National League Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday. Wood went 2-0 last week, striking out 21 in 11 scoreless innings. ... In order to create a roster spot for RHP Brandon McCarthy, the Dodgers demoted OF Brett Eibner to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... The Dodgers are expected to reinstate LHP Rich Hill (left middle finger blister) from the DL to start Tuesday. ... Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez (sore right elbow) and 2B Logan Forsythe (fractured right big toe) were scheduled to begin rehab assignments Monday night at Class A Rancho Cucamonga.