Tim Hudson Solid On Mound, At Plate; San Francisco Giants Beat White Sox 8-5

Tim Hudson pitched six solid innings and had a couple of hits as the San Francisco Giants beat a split squad of Chicago White Sox Saturday in Cactus League action at Camelback Ranch.

Hudson (2-1) worked six innings, allowing only Alejandro De Aza’s second inning homer, while scattering seven hits and a walk. He fanned two while also scoring a run during a six-run sixth inning that gave the Giants (13-9) control of the game.

The score was tied 1-1 after five innings when San Francisco got to White Sox starter Felipe Paulino (1-1). Buster Posey started the inning with a single and after Pablo Sandoval struck out, Posey stole second and moved to third on Brandon Hicks’ single.

Hicks stole second, but Juan Perez made it all for naught when he launched a three-run homer to left field. Perez’ second homer of the spring gave the Giants a 4-1 lead, but they weren’t done. Mark Minicozzi singled to center to chase Paulino. Mitchell Boggs came on to pitch for Chicago (7-12) and he got Ehire Adrianza to pop out. But Hudson beat out a swinging bunt and Gary Brown was hit by a pltch to load the bases.

Elliott Blair beat out an infield single that scored Minicozzi and left the bases loaded and Posey, batting for the second time in the inning, singled up the middle to chase home two more runs and give the Giants a commanding 7-1 lead.

San Francisco scored first, getting a run in the second on a bases-loaded walk to Gregor Blanco, before De Aza tied it for the White Sox in the bottom of the inning.

Chicago mounted a bit of a rally against the San Francisco pen in the seventh. Jeremy Affeldt came on to relieve Hudson and gave up a double to Adrian Nieto and an RBI single to Blake Tekotte. After Adam Eaton singled and Affeldt got a force out at second, Dan Black had an RBI single. That ended Affeldt’s day, but Juan Gutierrez came in an immediately surrendered a two-run double to Grant Buckner before he was able to get out of the inning.

Hicks closed the scoring with his third home run of the spring, a solo shot off David Purcey in the ninth.

Affeldt was charged with four runs on four hits while getting just one batter out, sending his spring ERA soaring to 10.50. Gutierrez gave up a hit and had a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect eighth, Javier Lopez retired both hitters he faced in the ninth and Jean Machi picked up his fourth save, allowing a hit and a baserunner on a catcher’s interference call before getting a game-ending strikeout.

Posey and Hicks were each 3-for-4 to lead a 14-hit attack. Posey is now hitting .405 this spring and Hicks continues to try to hit his way onto the roster, as he’s now at .432 in the Cactus League. Hudson and Blair each had two hits.

The Giants return to Scottsdale Stadium Sunday to host the Kansas City Royals at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.