The Giants 9-4 victory Friday night felt familiar. The last time they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals this soundly, they captured the National League Championship Series on a soggy evening at AT&T Park, winning Game 7 by a 9-0 score. This wasnt San Francisco, and this certainly wasnt October. But, even at this early juncture of the season, the Giants again looked primed for the postseason as they dominated the reigning NL champs. Madison Bumgarner (7-3) allowed three hits in seven shutout innings and struck out 10, his 16th career game in double digits. The left-hander finished a fabulous May in which he posted a 5-0 record with a 2.08 ERA in six starts. Bumgarner received ample offensive support, including Hunter Pences three-run homer off Adam Wainwright (8-3). The St. Louis ace allowed seven runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Giants offense, which amassed seven two-out runs, found a groove immediately against Wainwright, who entered the game with a Major League-low 1.67 ERA. Angel Pagan christened the game with a double, went to third on Pences fly to right field and held as Pablo Sandoval grounded out to first base with St. Louis infield playing up on the inner grass. That strategy went for naught as Michael Morse singled home Pagan to end Wainwrights streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings. The Giants outdid themselves in the second inning, scoring four times with two outs and nobody on base. Brandon Hicks walk prolonged the inning before Bumgarner singled him to third. Pagans single scored Hicks before Pence flexed his muscles. He drilled a 2-1 pitch into the third deck, an estimated 447 feet from home plate, for his seventh homer of the season. San Francisco struck again in the fifth as Sandoval singled and Morse doubled with one out. The runners held as Seth Maness, who relieved Wainwright, coaxed Hector Sanchezs groundout. Gregor Blanco then singled solidly to right-center field, widening San Franciscos lead to 7-0. For a change, the Giants scored twice with nobody out in the seventh. They loaded the bases on Pences single, Sandovals double -- which just missed being a home run that would have extended his consecutive-game RBI streak to 10 -- and Morses walk. Sanchez, who relishes such situations, singled home Pence and Sandoval.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 05:46:58 +0000
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