Crawford Blasts 18th Home Run, Giants Thump Nationals 10-4
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- All-Star Brandon Crawford had three hits including his 18th home run and the San Francisco Giants thumped the Washington Nationals 10-4 on Saturday.
Anthony DeSclafani had six strikeouts and pitched three-hit ball over six scoreless innings to win his 10th for the Giants. Thairo Estrada added four hits and two RBIs. Darin Ruf doubled and scored twice.
Named to his third All-Star team last week, Crawford had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, singled in a run as part of San Francisco's five-run third, doubled in the fourth and homered off Kyle McGowin in the sixth.
The 18 home runs by Crawford ties Jose Valentin's mark for most before the All-Star break by a shortstop 34 years or older. Crawford's career high for home runs in a season is 21.
DeSclafani (10-3) walked one and only allowed two runners past first base while setting a career high for wins. DeSclafani got Juan Soto to strike out looking twice and got help from right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, who made a sliding catch in foul territory to end the sixth.
Washington's Starlin Castro singled to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Alcides Escobar added a two-run triple.
The Giants batted around twice in the first three innings to chase starter Jon Lester (2-4).
Lester had won five of his six career starts against the Giants before Saturday. The five-time All-Star retired eight batters and allowed nine hits and eight runs — three earned. It's the second time in his last four starts that Lester failed to make it out of the third.
WILD FIRST
The Giants scored three unearned runs in the first after left fielder Gerardo Parra dropped Darin Ruf's deep fly ball. San Francisco batted around and had three infield singles, including one by Joey Bart, who hit a line drive that Lester fielded between his legs but couldn't hold on to.
ROSTER MOVES
Bart went 2 for 5 after being called up from Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants. RHP Logan Webb was optioned to the River Cats. Webb started for San Francisco on Friday after a lengthy stay on the injured list.
Washington called up Jakson Reetz from Triple-A Rochester after Yan Gomes was put on the IL. Reetz doubled in the ninth for his first major league hit. Kyle Lobstein was designated for assignment. Lobstein had a 20.25 ERA in three games as a reliever with the Nationals.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Nationals: Gomes had an MRI on Saturday after coming out of Friday night's game because of the injury.
UP NEXT
Right-handers Kevin Gausman (8-3, 1.74 ERA) of the Giants and Erick Fedde (4-5, 4.53) of the Nationals face off the second time this season in the series finale Sunday. Gausman, San Francisco's All-Star ace, suffered his first loss of the season in the first matchup on June 12.
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