SAN FRANCISCO-Giants fans have already become accustomed to seeing a right-handed heavy lineup when facing a lefty but the bats were quiet for the first seven innings tonight against Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray. Ray didn’t have his best stuff but it was enough to silence the Giants’ bats. He was effective over 6 2/3 innings of work scattering 4 hits and striking out eight, though he did struggle with command, walking five.
Jeff Samardzija was erratic with his fastball but he gave the Giants a chance to win throwing 6 2/3 quality innings, striking out seven and walking four batters. The story of the night for Samardzija was his inability to throw strikes early in the count and the D’backs capitalized. Samardzija only threw first pitch strikes to just 15 of the 30 batters he faced and had two 1-2-3 innings.
The Giants threatened to put a crooked number in the bottom of the 2nd inning when they loaded the bases with one out following an Eduardo Nunez single and walks to Chris Marrero and Joe Panik. Ray pitched out of the jam striking out and getting Gorkys Hernandez to fly out to deep left field.
The D’backs got their first three runs in 3rd when Robbie Ray and A.J. Pollock got back to back hits to start the inning. Samardzija struck out David Peralta swinging before issuing a walk to Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases. The next hitter, Jake Lamb, hit a 1-1 fastball into the left-center gap for a bases clearing triple.
Neil Ramirez relieved Samardzija and allowed one more run in the 8th inning after Yasmani Tomas hit a leadoff double and Chris Ianetta singled him in.
The Giants scored in the bottom of the 8th when Nick Hundley doubled to leadoff the inning. Panik doubled with two outs to score Hundley for the Giants’ first run of the game.
In the 9th inning the Giants put runners on base with a chance to tie the game. Hunter Pence earned a one out walk, his third of the game. With two outs Hundley doubled in Pence before Nunez singled to score the Giants’ third run of the game. Bruce Bochy called on Brandon Crawford to pinch hit with the tying run on base, but D’backs closer Fernando Rodney struck out Crawford swinging to end the game.
NOTES
- Hunter Pence was on base five times Tuesday night, two singles and three walks.
- Nick Hundley was 3-5 with two 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and 1 RBI
- The Giants bullpen threw multiple innings for the first time since Sunday. Blach, Ramirez, and Strickland combined for 2 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run and 5 strikeouts
- The first two hitters in the Giants lineup, Hernandez and Belt, combined to go 0-9 with one walk.
- The Giants left 13 men on base
UP NEXT: Matt Cain (0-0, 8.31) vs. Shelby Miller (1-0, 5.06)
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