Giants Grind Out Win Over Brewers 4-2
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Ryan Vogelsong labored through five innings to regain the National League's best ERA, five relievers finished with four scoreless innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Saturday night.
Vogelsong (8-1) allowed two runs on seven hits in one of his least spectacular outings of the season, finding yet another way to win. The journeyman All-Star notched enough innings for his 2.10 ERA to qualify for the lowest in the league again.
Nate Schierholtz drove in two runs and Aubrey Huff delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his 30th save.
Randy Wolf (6-8) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings for the Brewers, who fell back into a tie with St. Louis in the NL Central.
Vogelsong, pitching a day after his 34th birthday, has become the most reliable pitcher in one of baseball's best rotations. Almost as remarkable, the right-hander's only blemish this season remains a 1-0 loss to Florida on May 26 -- the day San Francisco found out star catcher Buster Posey was out for the year.
Even on a night he was hardly at his best, Vogelsong's mistakes were minor.
Ryan Braun hit the first pitch of the fourth inning over the left-field wall to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. The home run was Braun's 19th this season.
The Giants also backed Vogelsong with a trio of spectacular defensive plays.
Rickie Weeks was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Cody Ross later in the fourth, sliding in a toe late on a sharp tag by catcher Chris Stewart. After Yuniesky Betancourt singled, Stewart faked a throw to second and caught Casey McGehee heading for the plate from third for an easy out.
After Schierholtz put San Francisco ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double, Nyjer Morgan shook off boos and hit an RBI double in the fifth to even the score. The San Francisco native, who taunted the home fans a night earlier with repeated hand gestures following a running grab against the wall in center, pumped his arms in the air after sliding into second.
Morgan was thrown out trying to take third on a ball in the dirt with Braun at the plate with two outs, and fans mockingly gave him an extended standing ovation.
The Giants followed that up by manufacturing a run the hard way. Mike Fontenot moved Aaron Rowand to second on a sacrifice bunt, and he went to third on Pablo Sandoval's infield single.
Huff lifted a sacrifice fly to left to put San Francisco ahead 3-2. Andres Torres added a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.
Relievers Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez and Wilson all held Milwaukee scoreless over the final four innings.
NOTES: Giants bench coach Ron Wotus was ejected by plate umpire Sam Holbrook in the fourth for arguing balls and strikes. ... Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez, on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, will make one more rehab start for Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday. ... The Giants held a softball game for players' children two hours before the game as part of the team's family day. ... Brewers 1B Prince Fielder might get a rare day to rest Sunday with an off day scheduled Monday, manager Ron Roenicke said.
Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: http://www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
