LDN - Sports

Giants shut out Braves

[August 27, 2016] SAN FRANCISCO -- One batter into the game Friday night, San Francisco Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija knew he wouldn't be duplicating teammate Matt Moore's dramatic feat from the night before.

So he focused on the next-best thing: Duplicating his result.

Samardzija pitched out of two early jams, then went on to shut out the Atlanta Braves over seven innings, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 7-0 victory in the opener of a three-game series.

Angel Pagan connected on a two-run home run, and Brandon Belt and Joe Panik also drove in a pair of runs, as the Giants won for just the third time in the opening game of their last 13 series.

"It would be nice to get on a roll," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of his club's second straight win. "You get down toward the end here ... every game is important."

Pitching one night after Moore came within one out of no-hitting the Los Angeles Dodgers, Samardzija gave up a double to the first batter he faced, Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte.

But the veteran escaped the inning scoreless despite giving up a second double to Freddie Freeman, and limited the Braves to just five more hits during his seven-inning stint.

"Get them to hit it to (shortstop Brandon) Crawford," Samardzija said of the secret to escaping his early problems. "That's the game plan."

Samardzija got a break in the first when Inciarte tried to take third base on Adonis Garcia's grounder to Crawford. He was gunned down.

When Freeman followed with his double, Garcia could only get to third, where he was left stranded when Samardzija struck out Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis.

"That was the whole game right there," Freeman insisted. "They capitalized with runners in scoring position and we didn't."

The Braves loaded the bases with no outs in the second on a walk and singles by Jace Peterson and Dansby Swanson. But again Samardzija and Crawford worked their magic.

First, Samardzija got a force out at the plate on a grounder by Braves pitcher Joel De La Cruz and a second out when he struck out Inciarte. Then Crawford killed the threat when he stabbed Garcia's hard-hit liner.

"Rocky start," Bochy assessed. "But he did a great job of pitching out of the jams. Just kept his concentration. That saved the game at that point for us."

Samardzija (11-9), the hard-luck loser in a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets in his previous start, won for just the second time in his last eight starts. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Samardzija credited his defense, which played its 11th consecutive error-free game.

"It's unbelievable, man," he said of Crawford. "A couple of times tonight, I was expecting to be in the stretch. Then he comes out of nowhere to make a plan. As a pitcher, that helps you to pitch deep in the game."

Right-handers Hunter Strickland and Cory Gearrin pitched a hitless, scoreless inning apiece to complete the Giants' second consecutive shutout and seventh of the season.

[to top of second column]

The Giants also recorded back-to-back shutouts May 22-23 against the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

Freeman had two of the Braves' seven hits. His double was his 65th extra-base hit of the season, matching his previous career-best.

De La Cruz's supporting cast wasn't nearly as stellar as Samardzija's. The Braves made three errors to go with two wild pitches and a passed ball.

The Giants took advantage of the shoddy defense to build a big lead.

It started four batters into the first when Swanson, the Braves shortstop, threw low to first base on a two-out grounder by Crawford. It was ruled a hit for Crawford and an error on Swanson that allowed Buster Posey to advance from first to third.

Belt followed with an RBI single.

After both baserunners advanced on a passed ball on Braves catcher Tyler Flowers, Panik followed with a two-run double, making it a three-run inning.

Pagan's homer, his ninth of the season, came with two outs in the second, an inning that was extended by second baseman Peterson's fielding error.

Samardzija doubled and scored in the fourth, making it 6-0.

De La Cruz (0-7) was pulled after four innings, allowing six runs (three earned) and seven hits with two strikeouts. He received no runs of offensive support for the fifth time in his eight major league starts.

"He wasn't great," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said of De La Cruz. "(Your teammates) make some miscues and you need to get the next guy out, and he wasn't able to do that."

Belt's second hit, a double, plated Posey in the fifth off Braves reliever John Gant to make it 7-0.

Posey and Denard Span had two hits apiece for the Giants, who were opening a five-game homestand.

San Francisco (70-58) had lost 10 of its previous 15 home games.

The Giants totaled 10 hits, seven of which came in the first four innings.

NOTES: Giants pitchers have not allowed a run in their last 22 innings. ... The Braves were shut out for the 12th time this season. ... The Giants began a season-ending stretch in which they'll play 21 of 34 games against teams with losing records. They're currently 46-29 against teams below .500. ... Giants RF Hunter Pence was held out of the game because of a tight hamstring. ... Giants LF Angel Pagan hit the game's only home run. The Braves (89) and Giants (104) are the bottom two in the major leagues in homers.

Back to top