Giants Beat D'backs 10-3 to Get Back to .500
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Crawford opened a seven-run fourth inning with back-to-back home runs, and the San Francisco Giants got back to .500 on the season by beating the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3 on Monday night.
Pinch-hitter Alen Hanson and Buster Posey each added two-run doubles in the big inning to help the Giants win their fifth straight game to move within 1 1/2 games of the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
San Francisco gets a big boost Tuesday with ace Madison Bumgarner's return. Bumgarner is set to make his season debut after breaking the pinkie on his throwing hand at the end of spring training. The Giants managed to stay in striking distance in the division in 60 games without the 2014 World Series MVP and are hoping his return can keep them in contention.
Pablo Sandoval and Nick Hundley also homered for the Giants.
Pierce Johnson (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win after manager Bruce Bochy's decision to pull starter Derek Holland after just four innings paid off.
With the game tied at 2, Bochy opted to pinch hit for Holland with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth. Hanson made his manager look good when he slapped a double down the third-base line against Zack Godley (5-5) to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.
Reliever Fernando Salas allowed another run to score on a wild pitch, and then Posey's hit made it 7-2, with all seven runs charged to Godley.
Holland struck out the first four batters he faced but ran into trouble in the fourth when Ketel Marte hit a two-run double to open the scoring. Marte has eight extra-base hits and eight RBIs in his past seven games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks RHP Shelby Miller (elbow) made his second rehab start, allowing one run, four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings for Double-A Jackson. He struck out six and threw 79 pitches. ... OF A.J. Pollock had a CT scan on his injured thumb. The injury is healing but not enough to remove the soft cast.
MOMENT OF SILENCE
The Giants held a moment for silence for former San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark, who died Monday at age 61 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Bochy recalled playing a golf tournament at Pebble Beach with Clark and said they had talked about Clark visiting the Giants before he was diagnosed with ALS.
"I know he's going to be sorely missed," Bochy said. "If you ever were around Dwight you had fun. He just enjoyed life and had a passion for it. It's a sad day today."
UP NEXT
Bumgarner struck out 15 in 8 1/3 innings of two minor league outings. Bochy said he can probably throw about 90 pitches against the Diamondbacks in his first start of the season. Patrick Corbin (5-2) starts for Arizona.
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