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 That's why the first thing he did after Sunday's 4-1 victory over
the Miami Marlins was grab a ball and hand-deliver it to shortstop
Brandon Crawford.
"The game ball goes to Crawford," Vogelsong insisted after he had
shut out the Marlins on five hits over seven innings. "That was a
big play."
Left fielder Tyler Colvin and second baseman Brandon Hicks had
two-out, RBI singles in a three-run first inning as the Giants gave
Vogelsong all the runs he would need in their first at-bat.
He and his defense took it from there.
Vogelsong (2-2), who was winless with a 5.40 ERA in five April
starts, ran his May record to 2-1 with his fourth consecutive start
of six or more innings. The seven shutout innings lowered his May
ERA to 2.05.
The veteran permitted the Marlins, who had totaled 12 runs in wins
Friday and Saturday, five singles and just one walk. Only one Miami
baserunner reached third base during Vogelsong's stint.
That occurred in the fifth inning, before Crawford saved two runs
and retained a 3-0 lead with a diving stop on a shot up the middle
by Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria with runners on second and
third and two outs.
"We had our chances," Marlins manager Mike Redmond noted. "They made
a nice play on Hechy's ball. That saved a couple of runs."
Asked afterward what was working for him, Vogelsong blurted
Crawford's name.
"I kept getting them to his grounders to him," he insisted.
The three-run first inning helped as well.
The Giants wasted little time getting to Marlins right-hander Jacob
Turner (0-2), going up 1-0 when leadoff man Gregor Blanco was hit by
a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on right fielder Hunter
Pence's infield out and scored on catcher Buster Posey's sacrifice
fly.
With two outs and nobody on, the Giants tacked on two more runs on
successive singles by third baseman Pablo Sandoval, first baseman
Michael Morse, Colvin and Hicks.
"It's always nice," Vogelsong said of the early cushion. "I had a
game plan in place no matter what the score was. But you can attack
guys when you've got runs like that.
"He (Turner) settled down after that. So that first inning was big."
Sandoval had the Giants' only extra-base hit of the game, a solo
home run to left field in the fifth inning off Turner, who was
seeking his first career road start on his 18th try. The homer was
Sandoval's third of the season and highlighted a two-hit day on
which he extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Turner was pulled after six innings, having surrendered four runs on
six hits. He walked one and struck out seven.
The Marlins got on the scoreboard in the eighth and twice brought
the potential tying run to the plate, including star right fielder
Giancarlo Stanton as a pinch hitter.
Hechavarria scored the run after leading off the inning with a
single off Giants left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt.
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A double by second baseman Derek Dietrich and single by third
baseman Casey McGehee put runners on first and third with one out,
but right-hander Santiago Casilla struck out first baseman Garrett
Jones after a long battle that included a liner into the right field
corner that was foul by about a foot.
"That was a heck of an at-bat," Redmond assured. "He was battling.
He was on his fastball. It just missed."
Stanton, who hadn't started for the first time all season, then
flied to right to end the inning.
"I tried to keep him out of that game, but that was our shot,"
Redmond said. "I told him: If we get a situation where we need a big
hit, I would use him. Stanton had a chance there."
Giants closer Sergio Romo pitched a one-hit ninth inning for his
15th save, salvaging a split of the four-game series.
The win capped a 4-3 homestand for the Giants, who at 28-17 are tied
for the major league lead in wins.
Hechavarria, McGehee and catcher Jeff Mathis had two hits apiece for
Miami, which out-hit San Francisco 9-7.
The loss concluded a 4-7 California swing during which the Marlins
learned they would be losing ace Jose Fernandez to season-ending
elbow surgery.
NOTES: The Marlins outscored the Giants 17-15 in the four-game
series. ... Eight of the Giants' 15 runs in the series and three of
the four Sunday were scored with two outs. The Giants lead the
majors with 86 two-out RBIs. ... Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval is
14-for-36 (.389) during his nine-game hitting streak. The home run
was his first since April 13 ... Giants CF Angel Pagan did not play
after bruising his left shoulder diving for 1B Garrett Jones' triple
on Saturday night. Pagan had an MRI on the shoulder before the game.
Results are expected Monday. ... Giants RHP Tim Hudson postponed his
scheduled bullpen session and instead threw 70 pitches off a flat
ground before the game. Hudson, who missed his scheduled start
Friday night due to a strained left hip, said he prefers to do his
bullpen work two days before a start, and he's hoping to return to
the rotation for Thursday's game at Colorado. ... The Giants
announced before the game that 2B Marco Scutaro flew to Florida this
week for what they termed a "blood-spinning" injection into his
strained lower back. There remains no timetable for the veteran's
return.
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