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 So San Francisco Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco took matters
into his own hands Friday night when it came to cooling himself down
following his club's 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.
"My legs are tight," Blanco admitted following an all-around
brilliant effort that included two doubles, a bunt single, a stolen
base and a great catch in the outfield. "I just took a cold tub.
That always helps."
Blanco and third baseman Matt Duffy combined for six hits and five
RBIs out of the top two spots in the lineup, and right fielder
Hunter Pence added a home run, as the Giants recorded a second
consecutive victory over the Nationals.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy was so concerned about Blanco's nonstop
performance, he said he'd consider giving him the night off
Saturday.
"He had a terrific game," Bochy said of Blanco. "Great slide (at
home plate), perfect bunt, catch in the outfield ... He did it all
tonight.
"He played with a lot of fire. He can do a lot of things for you.
He's an exciting player."
Duffy was equally impressed.
"He put on a clinic," he said of Blanco. "Exactly what you want out
of a leadoff batter. I don't want to use the word perfect, but he
was close to perfect tonight."
As was the Giants bullpen. Five relievers rescued starter Matt Cain
with 4 1/3 shutout innings as San Francisco won for the 11th time in
its last 13 home games and improved to 3-1 on its current six-game
homestand.
"They really bailed us out," Bochy assured. "That's what you need."
It became needed after Nationals star Bryce Harper belted a
three-run homer, his 30th of the season, in a four-run fifth inning
that ended Cain's night and rallied the Nationals within 6-5.
But Washington managed only one more hit and couldn't score again
against Giants relievers Jeremy Affeldt, George Kontos, Josh Osich,
Sergio Romo and Javier Lopez.
Affeldt (2-2), who took over for Cain with two men on and shut down
the fifth inning, was credited with the win. Lopez, who got Harper
to fly out to end the game, recorded his first save.
"That's unbelievable," Cain said of the bullpen work. "Jeremy comes
in right there. Huge situation. It shut their momentum down and gave
us a chance to add on."
Duffy drove in three runs with three hits, including his 10th home
run, for the Giants, who led 6-1 after three innings and chased
Nationals starter Max Scherzer at that point.
Two of Blanco's hits were doubles, the first of which came in a
four-run second inning during which the Giants tied a West Coast
franchise record with four two-base hits.
Six of San Francisco's seven hits off Scherzer went for extra bases.
"I understand what caused tonight," the Nationals ace admitted.
"It's very frustrating because we need wins. But I'm confident I can
fix this within five days and go out there and give us a chance to
win."
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After the Nationals got within 6-5, the Giants scored the final two
runs of the game on an infield out by first baseman Brandon Belt in
the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly by Duffy in the eighth.
Belt and Pence added two hits apiece for the Giants, who out-hit the
Nationals 13-7.
Harper drove in a total of four runs, and second baseman Danny
Espinosa had a solo homer for the Nationals, who have lost four row
and 18 of 28 since the All-Star break.
"I want to hit 40 or 50. Keep going, keep battling," Harper said of
reaching the 30-homer mark. "If I'm doing that, we're going to win
ballgames, and that's all that matters."
Left fielder Clint Robinson added two hits for Washington.
Scherzer (11-9), who last faced the Giants for Detroit in Game 4 of
the 2012 World Series, a game won by San Francisco 4-3 in 10 innings
to complete a four-game sweep, was roughed up for six runs on seven
hits in three innings. He struck out three and did not walk a
batter.
The three-inning outing was his shortest of the season, and the six
runs allowed were a season high.
Cain was charged with five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He
walked one and struck out three.
NOTES: The four-double inning was the Giants' sixth since moving
west in 1962. ... The three-hit game was Giants 3B Matt Duffy's 12th
of the season. ... RF Bryce Harper became the sixth player in
Nationals history to hit 30 home runs in a season. 1B Adam LaRoche
was the last to do it in 2012. ... Nationals RHP Max Scherzer has
allowed 11 home runs in his last eight starts after having
surrendered just seven in his first 16 outings. ... Nationals
manager Matt Williams benched three of Thursday's starters -- OF
Jayson Werth, INF Anthony Rendon and C Wilson Ramos. Werth and
Rendon served as pinch-hitters late in the game. ... Injured
Nationals 2B Dan Uggla (back spasms) received his World Series
championship ring from the Giants before the game. Uggla went
0-for-11 with a walk, a run scored and six strikeouts in four games
for the Giants last July before getting waived.
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