LDN - Sports

Crawford's seven hits help Giants outlast Marlins

[August 09, 2016] MIAMI -- Brandon Crawford became the first player in the 133-year history of the Giants franchise to get seven hits in one game.

Better yet for Crawford, his seventh hit was a game-winning single in the 14th inning as the San Francisco Giants beat the Miami Marlins 8-7 on Monday night at Marlins Park.

The last player on any major league team to get seven hits in one game was Rennie Stennett of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975. Besides Stennett and Crawford, only four other players in major league history have ever had as many as seven hits in one game.

"That's crazy to me," Crawford said when asked about his historic night.

Here is something just about as crazy: Crawford, who went 7-for-8, entered Monday with just six hits in his past 37 at-bats for a .162 batting average during that span.

Yet he was the hero who helped put an end to a crazy game that lasted 5 hours 34 minutes.

The day started with potentially troubling news that Giants manager Bruce Bochy had been hospitalized Monday morning. He missed the game, but the Giants are hopeful he returns on Tuesday.

Bench coach Ron Wotus, who has experience as a minor league manager and has been with the Giants for 20 years, stepped in for his boss.

"(Bochy) picked a heck of a day to take off," Wotus said with a smile.

San Francisco started its winning rally with a pair of two-out walks to Brandon Belt and Buster Posey off reliever Dustin McGowan. Andrew Cashner, normally a starting pitcher, was then brought in, but Crawford lined a single to center to score Belt from second.

"What do you have to do to get that guy out?" Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I don't know. We have to figure it out. He's a tough out right now."

Crawford said he knew exactly what he had done up to that point.

"You always know how many hits you have," Crawford said. "I don't care how long the game goes, you always know."

The Giants (64-48), who lead the NL West, won despite leaving 18 runners on base. The Marlins left just six runners on base.

Miami (59-53) fell into a tie with the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second and final NL wild-card playoff berth.

The Marlins were led by left fielder Christian Yelich, who had three hits and four RBIs. Yelich hit an RBI double in the fourth, a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the seventh.

After the game, Yelich had an ice pack on his right ankle, however, although there was no official word on any injury.

Marlins starter Jose Fernandez, who struck out six and allowed one run in six innings, left with a 5-1 lead but got a no-decision after the Giants rallied for five seventh-inning runs against the Miami bullpen.

Fernandez was unable to get what would have been his career-high 13th win. But he tied Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals with a major-league-leading 198 strikeouts.

And even with the no-decision, Fernandez is 26-2 with a 1.62 ERA in his career at Marlins Park.

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Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) connects for a base hit during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Giants starter Johnny Cueto, who joined Fernandez at this year's All-Star Game, escaped with a no-decision after allowing five runs in five innings. Cueto threw just 68 pitches, his fewest since July 12, 2015.

San Francisco had a scoring opportunity in the fourth, but it was thwarted by an ill-advised decision. Crawford hit a leadoff double and tried to score from second on a two-out single to shallow right field by Cueto. But right fielder Giancarlo Stanton fired home to easily cut down Crawford.

Miami took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Martin Prado led off with a full-count walk and scored on Yelich's opposite-field double to left-center. Stanton then hit a single to left, scoring Yelich.

San Francisco trimmed its deficit to 2-1 in the fifth. Denard Span hit a leadoff single and scored from first when Posey sliced a two-out double that hit the right-center field wall on one bounce.

The Giants scored five runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. Belt hit a two-run double, Posey and Hunter Pence had RBI singles, and the Giants went ahead on a wild pitch.

Yelich's two-run single in the bottom of the seventh put the Marlins up 7-6, but Crawford's RBI single in the eighth tied the score 7-7.

Miami's offense went scoreless in the final seven innings.

"I asked if I could come back and hit since it was after (midnight)," Fernandez joked. "I wanted to be out there so bad."

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey injured one of his fingers while sliding but remained in the game. ... The Giants lead the NL with nine extra-inning wins. The Giants also have 23 one-run wins, tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the most in the league. ... Giants LHP Josh Osich, who was 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA last year, was set to start his rehab from a strained forearm on Monday night at Double-A Richmond. ... Marlins 3B Martin Prado, who left Sunday's game after fouling a ball off his foot, was back in Monday's lineup. ... LHP Jeff Brigham, who was 2-0 with a 0.33 ERA in five starts at High-A Jupiter, was named Miami's Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July.

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