Gordon May Get Chance To Extend 12-Game Hit Streak
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MIAMI (AP) -- Dee Gordon wasn't available to spoil another dominant pitching performance from the San Francisco Giants, but his absence could prove brief.
The Miami Marlins second baseman might get the chance to add to his major league-best average and extend a 12-game hit streak while preventing Madison Bumgarner from winning a third consecutive start Saturday night.
Gordon was forced to sit Friday because of a sore right hamstring suffered in the opener at AT&T Park, a 7-2 victory Thursday. With Gordon and his .437 average on the bench, the Marlins (14-16) produced just three hits in a 6-0 loss.
The Giants (15-15) struck out 10 in their fourth shutout in the last six games, and Casey McGehee provided an early boost with a second-inning grand slam. San Francisco had given up a combined 16 runs and 33 hits in back-to-back defeats.
"His legs are such an important part of his game," general manager Dan Jennings told MLB's official website. "Let's err on the side of caution right now. Let's make sure they're not sore, and give him a day and get him back (Saturday)."
Gordon is batting .560 (28 for 50) during his streak and went 3 for 5 on Thursday. He's hitting .368 in his last eight games in San Francisco but is 3 for 13 in his career against Bumgarner with one hit in his last eight at-bats.
Bumgarner (3-1, 3.03 ERA) enters this game with a 1.25 ERA in his last three starts after putting up a 5.29 mark in his first three. He's yielded one run in 15 1-3 innings in his back-to-back victories and took a no-hitter into the seventh in a 2-0 victory over San Diego on Monday.
The left-hander finished with two hits and one walk allowed in 7 1-3 innings.
"Everything's coming together finally. Delivery feels good. All my stuff feels good. Command, everything," he said.
Bumgarner gave up one run in six innings and fanned seven in his only matchup with the Marlins last season, a 9-1 win July 18. He was 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA in his prior four meetings.
David Phelps (1-0, 3.24) will try to continue his string of effective outings in his first game against San Francisco. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts since replacing an ailing Henderson Alvarez in the rotation and gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings in Monday's 6-4 loss at Washington.
Only one current Giants hitter has faced Phelps, Nori Aoki (1 for 4).
Giancarlo Stanton is 8 for 13 with five doubles and one home run lifetime against Bumgarner, the best performance of any hitter who has faced him at least 11 times.
McGehee, who played for the Marlins last season, was batting .178 before Friday and had gone 8 for 56 with one RBI in his prior 18 contests.
"I've proven I can hit in this league, I've proven I can be productive in this league," McGehee said.
Brandon Belt had four hits Friday and is 12 for 22 in his last six games. He also has at least one double in each of those contests and is one shy of matching Jeff Kent (April 1999) for the longest streak in San Francisco history.
The Giants haven't scored more than six runs in any of their first 30 games, their longest streak since at least 1914.
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