LDN - Sports

Giants maintain spot in wild-card race with 9-3 win

[October 01, 2016] SAN FRANCISCO -- Madison Bumgarner celebrated his 100th career win in his favorite way Friday night -- by taking delight in his own hitting prowess.

Bumgarner had a two-run double and Brandon Belt a three-run homer in a seven-run sixth inning Friday night, helping the San Francisco Giants open a critical three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 9-3 victory.

"That was a really good all-around baseball game on our part," Bumgarner noted after becoming the third-youngest Giant to reach 100 wins. "I'm just happy to contribute."

Bumgarner limited the Dodgers to three runs in 7 1/3 innings, allowing the Giants (85-75) to match wins by the New York Mets (86-74) and St. Louis Cardinals (84-76) earlier in the evening.

The Giants continue to trail the Mets by one game for the first National League wild-card spot while retaining a one-game edge over the Cardinals for the final playoff spot.

"It's up to us," Giants manager Bruce Bochy assessed of the three-team duel. "We can't be concerned with what's happening there in St. Louis. We need to take care of our business."

The Dodgers (91-69), meanwhile, lost an opportunity to pick up a game on the Washington Nationals (93-67) in their tussle for home-field advantage in their NL Division Series first-round matchup.

The Nationals take a two-game lead into the final two games of the regular season this weekend.

"That's a very good ballclub," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the Giants. "They fight, they compete and they've won. They're fighting for their lives over there, so it's good for our guys to play a team like that, especially in this environment."

The Giants trailed 3-2 before teeing off on Dodgers reliever Brandon McCarthy (2-3) in the sixth inning.

McCarthy, pitching for only the second time since returning from a hip injury, walked the first man he faced, Angel Pagan, before the floodgates opened.

Singles by Brandon Crawford and Kelby Tomlinson loaded the bases, after which pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie's two-run double gave San Francisco a lead it never relinquished.

"That was huge," assessed Bochy, who had a pinch hitter ready to bat for Bumgarner had Gillaspie not come through. "Now we take the lead."

Bumgarner followed with his two-run double, his sixth of the season, to increase the lead to 6-3.

"Being able to come through," Bumgarner responded when asked why he celebrated the hit while standing on second base. "That was a good RBI situation. Got to get at least one (in)."

After Denard Span singled to end McCarthy's night, Belt greeted Josh Ravin with his team-leading 17th homer of the season, breaking the game open at 9-3.

Bumgarner (15-9) won for the first time five starts. He allowed eight hits and one walk and struck out five.

"It's special for me," the 27-year-old said of the 100th win. "But there's a lot more at stake right now."

The Dodgers took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on three consecutive two-out hits against Bumgarner. Enrique Hernandez's single scored Carlos Ruiz to give Los Angeles its brief lead.

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Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) pushes a fan away during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Dodgers starter Rich Hill was lifted after five innings with the lead. He held the Giants to two runs and six hits, walking one and striking out four.

"They just hit everything I threw," McCarthy said. "I'm angry, but other than that, it was so fast and so violent that I don't really know what kind of emotions to take from it. They just kind of hit everything and I didn't execute, didn't have an answer."

Belt and Crawford had three hits apiece for the Giants, who won for the third time in four games on their regular-season-ending homestand.

Bumgarner added two hits, helping the Giants outhit the Dodgers 13-8.

Ruiz and Yasiel Puig collected two hits apiece for the Dodgers, who eliminated the Giants in the NL West race Sunday.

Both starting pitchers settled down after a rocky start.

The Dodgers jumped on Bumgarner for two runs in the first inning, stringing together four one-out hits. Puig doubled home Corey Seager with the first run and scored on Ruiz's single.

The Giants immediately countered with a two-run inning, ignited by Gorkys Hernandez's leadoff double. Buster Posey drove in Hernandez with a single, and Pagan's sacrifice fly plated Belt with the tying run.

NOTES: LHP Madison Bumgarner became the 14th pitcher in Giants history to win his first 100 games for the franchise. ... Bumgarner's two RBIs gave him nine for the season, tied with teammate RHP Jeff Samardzija for second-most among all pitchers. ... 1B Brandon Belt recorded three-fourths of the cycle (single, double and home run) for the 11th time this season without ever completing it. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced after the game that rookie LHP Ty Blach will get the start Saturday against Los Angeles Dodgers ace LHP Clayton Kershaw. ... Bochy also disclosed before the game that 3B Eduardo Nunez (strained hamstring) is unlikely to play in the series and would be considered questionable for a possible wild-card game Wednesday. ... The Dodgers released RHP Bud Norris on Friday, 10 days after designating the veteran pitcher for assignment.

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