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 The Giants overcame a six-run deficit and beat the Pittsburgh
Pirates 11-10 in 13 innings Monday night. San Francisco ran its
winning streak to a season-high six games and earned its 10th
victory in 11 games.
"It's just one of 162 games, and at the end of the day, it's about
playing hard, playing to the end and never giving up," San Francisco
right fielder Hunter Pence said. "We don't think about what happened
yesterday or the day before or last week. We just try to stay in the
moment and concentrate on that day's game."
A throwing error by Pirates right-hander Jared Hughes on a sacrifice
bunt by Giants reliever Jean Machi enabled the winning run to score.
Hughes (1-1) came on to start the inning, and with one out, he
walked Pence and hit left fielder Juan Perez with a pitch. Machi, in
just the second plate appearance of his four-year career, then
dropped down a bunt that Hughes fielded but threw wildly past first
base as Pence scored from second.
Belying his hefty frame, Machi motored down the line and forced
Hughes to rush his throw.
"I saw he got a late break off the mound, and I knew I had to run
hard," Machi said through a translator. "I was excited because I did
my job. They wanted me to move the runners up, and I did that."
Giants backup catcher Hector Sanchez had four hits and three RBIs
despite playing with the flu. Buster Posey, who got a day off from
catching and played first base, had three hits, three runs and two
RBIs.
Pence finished with three hits and scored four times, and center
fielder Angel Pagan also had three of San Francisco's 20 hits. Left
fielder Michael Morse drove in two runs with two doubles.
The Giants tied the score at 10-10 and forced extra innings on
Posey's single in the ninth.
Machi (5-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Giants closer
Sergio Romo hit Neil Walker with an 0-2 pitch to lead off the bottom
of the 13th, but he worked around the mistake for his 10th save.
Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen had four hits, including a
double and a triple. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit a three-run
home run, his eighth of the season, and finished with four RBIs, but
Pittsburgh lost for the 18th time in 23 games.
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Six Pirates relievers combined to allow five runs (four earned) in 7
2/3 innings. Right-hander Bryan Morris allowed all three inherited
runners to score after relieving left-handed starter Jeff Locke in
the sixth inning.
The Pirates led 8-2 after scoring four times in the fifth inning,
but San Francisco pulled even at 9-9 thanks to five runs in the
sixth and two in the seventh. Pittsburgh took a 10-9 lead in the
eighth on pinch hitter Jose Tabata's RBI infield single.
"Well, it basically got to our location not being good," Pirates
manager Clint Hurdle said of his bullpen's struggles. "We were up in
the zone more than we normally are."
Both fill-in starting pitchers struggled. San Francisco right-hander
Yusmeiro Petit was racked for eight runs and nine hits in 4 1/3
innings. Locke, an All-Star last season, surrendered six runs and
eight hits in 5 1/3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A
Indianapolis earlier in the day.
NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Cain is confident he will make his next
scheduled start Saturday against the Dodgers at Los Angeles. He was
originally supposed to pitch Monday but was placed on the disabled
list, retroactive to April 24, with a cut on his right index finger.
... San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt, who entered the game in a
2-for-29 slump, got the night off but went 1-for-2 with a walk after
coming off the bench. ... Pirates SS Jordy Mercer, his batting
average down to .156, did not start but went 2-for-4 with a double
after entering as part of a double switch. ... Pittsburgh RHP Jason
Grilli (strained left oblique) played catch for the second time in
three days, but there is no timetable for when the closer will be
able to throw off a mound. ... The Pirates optioned RHP Casey Sadler
to Triple-A Indianapolis to open a roster spot for LHP Jeff Locke,
who was recalled from the same club to start Monday night.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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