Braves Best Giants In 10th Inning, Sweep Series
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Nate McLouth hit a two-run single off Brian Wilson with two outs in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 9-6 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer and double, then singled in the 10th as the Braves posted their first sweep of any kind in San Francisco since 1998.
Heyward and Chipper Jones started the inning with singles against Wilson (0-1) before Dan Uggla walked to load the bases. Wilson got two quick outs and nearly escaped the jam before McLouth's grounder up the middle provided the go-ahead runs.
Brian McCann added an RBI single off Dan Runzler.
Eric O'Flaherty (1-1) pitched two innings for the win, and Johnny Venters earned his first save of the season.
Buster Posey had a two-run homer and Aaron Rowand hit a two-run double to help the Giants overcome a three-run deficit and take a 6-5 lead in the seventh. Uggla hit a tying homer in the eighth, connecting off Sergio Romo for his fifth shot of the season.
Wilson, who led the majors with 48 saves last season, was extended for an extra inning after pitching a perfect ninth.
Jones celebrated his 39th birthday with a two-run double that zipped past diving third baseman Pablo Sandoval in the first inning to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Then Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez found his groove and showed no signs of a flu bug that forced him to have intravenous fluids a day earlier. He struck out five and allowed two hits and three walks in five innings.
Braves starter Brandon Beachy retired the first 11 batters with relative ease until Aubrey Huff hit a towering double off the right-field wall and Posey followed with a home run in the fourth.
Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt walked two batters in the seventh before Heyward—the runner-up to Posey for the NL Rookie of the Year last season—hit his fifth home run to put Atlanta ahead 5-2.
The Giants came back with three consecutive singles off reliever Jairo Asencio. Miguel Tejada walked to drive in a run, Nate Schierholtz had an RBI grounder and Rowand's double put San Francisco ahead.
NOTES: Atlanta's Brandon Hicks made his first major league start in place of shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez came in the game in the seventh. ... Giants CF Andres Torres (strained left Achilles' tendon) and RHP reliever Santiago Casilla (inflamed pitching elbow) will travel to Arizona on Monday to rehabilitate and perhaps play in some extended spring training games. Manager Bruce Bochy said it was unlikely either would join the team during the upcoming 10-game road trip. ... Bochy showed off his new desk in his office before the game, a beige piece made of wood that is larger than his last. Asked why he needed a new desk, he chuckled, "because the other one was old."
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