On-Air Now
On-Air Now
Listen Live from the Casino Matrix Studio

Stratton recovers, Posey homers, and Sands walks Giants off against Cubs

By

/

© Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports


SCOTTSDALE —Chris Stratton allowed six hits, three runs, and struck out seven before being taken out in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs. Buster Posey hit a three-run homer off Jose Quintana that gave the San Francisco Giants a temporary lead.

But the true hero of Thursday night’s 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs was Jerry Sands, a seven year veteran who signed a minor-league deal with the Giants this offseason, who came up with runners on first and second in the ninth inning, and laced a single to bring home the game-winning run.

Well before the game’s dramatic finish, Stratton ran into trouble in the first inning after giving up a two-out double to Anthony Rizzo. He walked Wilson Contreras, then surrendered a run-scoring single to Addison Russell. Before the inning came to an end, Contreras raced home on a wild pitch, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

“Stratton I thought did a real nice job,” Bochy said. “They were up by two in the first, but he settled us down and did the perfect job there for us.”

Nonetheless, Stratton rebounded with a pair of perfect frames, striking out three over the second and third innings. Contreras broke his perfect streak with a leadoff double in the fourth, but Stratton kept the Cubs off the board with a pair of fly-outs to center and an inning-ending strikeout of Javier Baez.

Stratton found himself in another jam after allowing the first two men to reach in the sixth inning. With runners on the corners, Jason Heyward tied the game with a sacrifice fly, but the Cubs were unable to retake the lead. The following inning, Stratton’s night came to an end after giving up a leadoff single.

“It was good,” Stratton said on pitching six innings. “I don’t think I’ve pitched five complete, so that was nice to get up. I wish I had got that last guy there, but that’s all a part of it.”

The score remained tied 3-3 until Gorkys Hernandez and Josh Rutledge set the stage for Sands’ walk-off with back-to-back singles.

After facing everything from Triple-A pitchers to back-end starters, batting against Quintana was a good test for the Giants lineup. Prior to Thursday, the closest the Giants came to facing an ace this spring came against Ian Kennedy of the Kansas City Royals and James Paxton of the Seattle Mariners twice.

That made their success against Quintana all the more significant.

It took one round through the lineup for the Giants to get going. The first time through, only Andrew McCutchen and Hunter Pence reached base, the former walking and the latter singling.

Joe Panik legged out a fielder’s choice that broke up a double play and kept the third inning going. That set the stage for McCutchen to reach on a single and Buster Posey to give the Giants the a 3-2 lead with his second home run of the spring.

Game notes:

Josh Osich relieved Chris Stratton in the seventh and put up a scoreless inning, despite giving up back-to-back walks. He’s now scoreless in all 10.1 innings pitched this spring.

Mark Melancon entered the game in the eighth and pitched a perfect inning. This was the first of back-to-back appearances Melancon is scheduled to pitch.

Brandon Belt wasn’t in the lineup Thursday night, but he will start on Friday in left field. This will be Belt’s first outfield appearance of the spring and Bruce Bochy said before the game that it’s a move he could utilize during the season.

Prior to the game, Bochy said Jeff Samardzija had an MRI on his shoulder and had it examined that afternoon. It’s still uncertain the severity of Samardzija’s injury, but it could force the Giants to make a few late-spring adjustments to their pitching staff.

Ty Blach started at the Angels’ minor league complex early Thursday afternoon. He held the Angels’ minor leaguers to two runs, and four hits with three strikeouts. Additionally, Blach handed Shohei Ohtani an 0-for-3.