Posey Leads Giants’ Offensive Attack Over San Diego
Runs have been of the premium for the San Francisco Giants lately. A quick glimpse at their July run total (25), which, entering Friday’s action, was the fewest total in baseball, can confirm that.
But the Giants busted out for 10 runs on Friday, and they pummeled a reeling San Diego Padres team 10-1. The last time they won consecutive games…against the Padres on June 18 and 19.
To boot, their 17 hits tied a season-high. Marco Scutaro (three hits), Buster Posey (two hits), Pablo Sandoval (two hits), Tanaka (two hits) and Brandon Crawford (three hits) all had multi-hit efforts.
Jul 12, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco (7) celebrates with teammates a 10-1 win against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Posey provided the final punch with a two-run double in the seventh inning that made it 10-1.
Hunter Pence’s single started the five-run seventh inning. He eventually scored on Brad Brach’s wild pitch, but that was only the beginning of the team’s outburst. Tanaka reached on a crafty bunt single that Chase Headley ate up. Brandon Crawford followed with a walk.
With Andres Torres hitting, the runners on first and second tried to advance to third base on the dropped ball by catcher Nick Hundley. Hundley threw to Yonder Alonso, who then caught Tanaka sneaking off second base. After a few seconds of the pickle, Tanaka was rewarded with third base because Chase Headley interfered with him in the rundown–a second review might suggest otherwise, though. Bud Black concurred, as Mike Winters tossed him for arguing.
Torres promptly followed with an RBI single that easily scored Tanaka. Scutaro’s flare made it 8-1, and Posey pulled Brad Brach’s fastball down the left field line to score two more.
Chad Gaudin was the beneficiary of the high offensive output. He pitched five innings, and tried to pitch six, but he loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks. He was replaced with Jose Mijares, who came up with the relief performance of the year.
Mijares induced a first-pitch pop out to Alonso, and then struck out Jedd Gyorko and Chris Denorfia to escape the bases-loaded mess.
Had the Padres mustered a run or two in the fifth, they would’ve had a response for the Giants’ three-run sixth inning. Scutaro’s infield single drove in a run, and Posey’s line drive in the right field gap scored a pair.
Posey’s first RBI of the game evened the score at 1-1 in the third inning. Scutaro’s first hit set the stage.
Sandoval’s fifth-inning double broke the tie, and the Giants only expanded their lead from there.