Five-Run Inning Lifts Giants Past Brewers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Hunter Pence doubled in Matt Duffy to break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning and the San Francisco Giants held on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-0 on Wednesday.
Pence also made two sparkling defensive plays in the outfield as the Giants bounced back from their only loss on this six-game homestand to beat the Brewers for the fifth time in six games this season.
Ehire Adrianza added a two-run single and Brandon Crawford had a sacrifice fly for the defending World Series champs, who scored all of their runs in the fourth.
San Francisco has won 10 of 12 games since the All-Star break.
Hunter Strickland (1-1) retired three batters for the win, his first since Sept. 27, 2014.
Gerardo Parra extended his hitting streak to 13 games, matching his career high, but the Brewers were shut out for the 12th time this season.
San Francisco's defense played a big part of that.
Pence chased down Hernan Perez's deep fly to the gap in right-center for the first out in the third, then doubled up Jonathan Lucroy trying to tag up from second base on Ryan Braun's fly out in the fourth. Left fielder Nori Aoki followed with a tumbling catch near the foul line to end the inning.
Neither team did much until the Giants sent 10 men to the plate in the fourth.
Pence hit his tiebreaking double off Milwaukee starter Mike Fiers (5-9). Fiers struck out five and gave up two runs in six-plus innings.
San Francisco scored three runs off reliever Will Smith to break it open.
Giants starter Jake Peavy gave up four hits and had three strikeouts over six innings but left without the decision. Peavy also reached on a single in the third - San Francisco's first hit of the game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: Braun returned to the lineup after missing two days with tightness in his lower back. Braun went 0-for-4 while batting third.
Giants: 2B Joe Panik (back stiffness) was rested. ... C Buster Posey was also given the day off. "They've been going hard since the All-Star break," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I'm trying to keep these guys as fresh as I can."
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-9) will seek his first career win against the Cubs when he faces them on Thursday night in Milwaukee. Nelson is winless in four previous starts against Chicago.
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (11-5) pitches the series opener in Texas on Friday night. He'll be facing the Rangers for the first time since beating them in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
