Giants Hit 5 HRs, Rough Up Greinke, Astros 8-6
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants hit five home runs, including four off Astros ace Zack Greinke, and beat Houston 8-6 Saturday in an interleague matchup of division leaders.
Darin Ruf, Donovan Solano, Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. connected off Greinke. Mike Yastrzemski added a later shot to help the Giants become the first team in the majors with 65 wins.
Brandon Crawford hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning for the Giants.
"We put some really good swings on the ball. All the homers were pretty much no-doubters," Ruf said. "Although it was a nice day to hit and the ball seemed to be traveling well, those would have been homers in any other day game."
Aledmys Díaz homered twice on his 31st birthday for the Astros, who lost in manager Dusty Baker's return after serving a one-game suspension.
The Giants lead the NL with 156 home runs, but had gone a season-high four games without one before Solano's two-out drive in the second.
After Flores connected for a two-run homer in the third, Wade homered into McCovey Cove in the fourth. The ball sailed over his mother, who was standing on the walkway behind the seats in right field when the ball went out. It was the first game this season that Wade's parents attended.
"I thought that was pretty cool," Wade said. "It just so happened that she was there at the right time. She can't sit still and wants to walk around."
Ruf homered in the fifth. Yastrzemski hit his 17th home run in the eighth.
"This was like a homer-dome today," Baker said. "That ball was flying. Barry Bonds would have hit 85 home runs in these conditions. We didn't miss many. They didn't miss any."
Greinke gave up eight hits and six runs -– four earned -– in four innings. His career-high for homers allowed is five.
"Three of them might have been home runs still in any situation," Greinke said. "They weren't cheap."
Crawford's two-out RBI single off Cristian Javier drove in Ruf, who reached on a two-out single off Blake Taylor (2-3).
Jay Jackson (2-0) retired three batters to win. Jake McGee pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
Díaz hit a two-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth, both off Giants starter Alex Wood.
The Astros made it 6-all on Martín Maldonado's homer in the top of the sixth.
KAPLER'S STEAK CAKE
Díaz wasn't the only one celebrating a birthday. Giants manager Gabe Kapler turned 46 and was given a cake in the shape of a steak during a postgame party in the clubhouse. "It had candles and it had a big tomahawk ribeye shape with a little pat of butter on it and then a potato, which was total out of place because these guys know I won't eat that," Kapler said.
NO BRYANT YET
Newly acquired Kris Bryant was not with the Giants. He was flying from Chicago to San Francisco and expected to arrive Saturday night. Kapler expects the four-time All-Star to be in the lineup Sunday.
CRAWFORD'S GLOVE
On a day when both teams had troubles on defense, Crawford continued his stellar fielding. The three-time Gold Glove shortstop ranged far to his left to get to Chas McCormick's grounder in the fourth, did a full spin then made a strong throw to first for the out.
ROSTER MOVES
The Astros added RHP Phil Maton to the active roster. Acquired in a trade with Cleveland, he pitched a scoreless inning and struck out three.
Houston called up OF Jake Meyers from Triple-A Sugar Land and optioned RHP Bryan Abreu to the taxi squad and RHP Brandon Bielak to Sugar Land. RHP Nivaldo Rodríguez was designated for assignment.
The Giants added LHP Tony Watson and optioned LHP Sammy Long to Triple-A Sacramento.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: 3B Alex Bregman (left quad strain) continues to make progress in his rehab and Baker is cautiously optimistic. "I told him whatever time period that he has for himself, to add a couple days to make sure that (he's) ready timing-wise to hit in the middle of the order hopefully again," Baker said. "He's always going to say he's ready but I want him really ready."
Giants: Flores left the game with lower back tightness. … C Buster Posey rested.
UP NEXT
Giants RHP Logan Webb (4-3, 3.36 ERA) has no-decisions in each of his previous four starts, although he hasn't lost since May 5. Astros RHP Luis García (7-5, 3.19) is coming off one of his worst outings this season when he had nine strikeouts but allowed six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings against Seattle.
