LDN - Sports

Giants ride Cueto's arm, Gillaspie's bat to victory

[July 02, 2016] PHOENIX -- Except for wobbly legs, an upset stomach and a feeling of nausea, San Francisco right-hander Johnny Cueto's warmup bullpen session went fine Friday. His game got a lot better.

Cueto survived a rough first inning to become the National League's second 12-game winner, and Conor Gillaspie finished a homer short of the cycle in the Giants' 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday at Chase Field.

"I felt like throwing up," Cueto said through an interpreter. "I wanted to throw up, but I couldn't. Now I feel a lot better. The fourth or fifth inning, I started feeling better."

Cueto (12-1) struck out nine and did not walk a batter in seven innings. He won his ninth consecutive decision to tie the Cubs' Jake Arrieta, the National League's reigning Cy Young Award winner, for the league lead in victories.

Cueto gave up four runs on seven hits, with four runs and five hits coming in the first three innings. Welington Castillo homered to cap a three-run first inning, and Jake Lamb homered in the third for a 4-1 Arizona lead.

"I didn't know if we were going to have to get him after the first or second inning," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said of Cueto. "He just wasn't doing well. He wasn't getting the ball where he wanted to. He started throwing better, and (he winds up going) seven solid innings."

Cueto has the longest winning streak among Giants starters since Jason Schmidt won 12 in a row in 2004.

Gillaspie, filling in for injured third baseman Matt Duffy, had a hand in second-, fourth- and sixth-inning rallies as the Giants (51-31) tied the Cubs for the most victories in the NL. San Francisco won for the 15th time in 20 games.

Gillaspie tripled in a run in the second inning, doubled and scored in a two-run fourth inning and singled in a two-run sixth.

Jarrett Parker homered, Grant Green had a two-run single, and Trevor Brown had a two-run double as the Nos. 5-8 hitters, all normally reserves, accounted for eight hits and six RBIs.

Brown's two-run double off Shelby Miller (2-8) gave the Giants a 5-4 lead, and Parker's homer in the sixth made it 6-4.

"The pitcher and the catcher know the pitcher is on deck so they are trying to pitch, not give him a cookie," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "(Parker) did a great job hitting it down the right field line."

Giants starters Duffy, Joe Panik and Hunter Pence are on the disabled list, and Buster Posey and Denard Span were given a night off.

"It's been kind of rough with all the injuries we have," Gillaspie said. "It's important to focus and try to have good at-bats. A lot of the guys who have come up have done a really good job of that."

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Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after the final out of the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Lamb's homer was a his team-leading 17th, and he has homered in his last three games. Castillo's homer was his ninth.

Paul Goldschmidt also had an RBI double for Arizona, which has lost six in a row and all five at home to San Francisco this season. The D-backs (36-46) are 13-29 at home.

Santiago Casilla gave up three baserunners in the ninth inning before recording his 18th save.

Castillo and Chris Herrmann opened the inning with singles to put runners on first and third before first baseman Brandon Belt started a double play on a ball hit by Yasmany Tomas, with Castillo holding at third. Phil Gosselin walked, and Casilla struck out Peter O'Brien to end the game.

"Probably not a good pitch that Yasmany swung at," Hale said. "That is probably the hardest double play to turn, and they did it."

Miller gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings. He is 0-6 with a 7.05 ERA in seven home starts.

NOTES: Arizona RHP Zack Greinke (left oblique soreness) will not make his next scheduled start Monday, manager Chip Hale said, but no decision has been made on a possible stint on the disabled list. RHP Archie Bradley is scheduled to start on normal rest Monday and RHP Zack Godley is the top candidate to start Tuesday, Hale said. Greinke was removed after two innings in his last start Tuesday against Philadelphia. ... Giants CF Denard Span (right neck) was a late scratch and was replaced by CF Gregor Blanco. ... San Francisco C Buster Posey was given a day off after playing in 20 straight games, starting 19. He slashed .368/.430/.500 with seven doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs in that stretch. ... The Diamondbacks and Giants have swept each other in a four-game series on the road this season, only the fifth pair to do that since the advent of division play in 1969, according to STATS, LLC.

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