The Sports Xchange
Jul 5, 2017
DETROIT -- Hunter Pence drove in three runs with a groundout and a triple Wednesday night to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 5-4 victory over Detroit that spun the Tigers one step closer to a potential payroll pruning.
Detroit rallied for four runs in the seventh, but Cory Gearrin, the last of four pitchers used by San Francisco in the inning, struck out Justin Upton with two on to end the burst.
Giants starter Ty Blach was cruising with a three-hit shutout through six innings but gave up three consecutive hits and exited without retiring a batter in the seventh. Miguel Cabrera singled to center, J.D. Martinez doubled near the line in right, and both scored when Victor Martinez bounced a single up the middle.
Gearrin walked Jose Iglesias with one out and gave up an RBI single to Ian Kinsler that hit the pitcher's leg and ricocheted to third. Nicholas Castellanos hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 5-4.
Hunter Strickland pitched the eighth and Sam Dyson got his third save with the Giants for working the ninth.
Gorkys Hernandez had three hits for San Francisco.
Blach (6-5) had allowed just three scattered singles entering the seventh. He walked one and struck out two and was charged with three runs.
Pence drove in his first run in the third, breaking a scoreless tie on a sharp groundout to Norris with runners on second and third and one out. Daniel Norris (4-7) checked the runner and probably would have caught Kelby Tomlinson moving toward the plate but was too quick to throw to first.
Jae-Gyun Hwang then lined a soft RBI single to center with two out to make it 2-0.
Pence tripled home a pair of runs with a line shot to right-center in the fourth after Brandon Belt singled home a run with two outs. Nick Hundley doubled with one out and Kelby Tomlinson walked prior to Belt's single up the middle.
Norris lasted just four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs with two strikeouts and four walks (two intentional).
Now nine games below .500, the Tigers needed to get hot over the final six games prior to the All-Star break to stay out of the seller's pool. J.D. Martinez, Justin Verlander, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila have been the subject of trade rumors over the last few days.
NOTES: RHP Alex Faedo, Detroit's first choice and the 18th overall selection in the June draft, signed a contract worth an estimated $3.5 million. He will report to Detroit's spring training base but won't pitch, having thrown some 130 innings for Florida this year. ... San Francisco LHP Madison Bumgarner was scheduled to work five innings or 75 pitches for Class A San Jose on Wednesday in his third rehab start. ... Giants 3B Conor Gillaspie (back spasms) also made a rehab appearance with San Jose and could be activated Friday, manager Bruce Bochy said. ... OF Alex Presley was activated off the concussion list, with Detroit sending OF Matt den Dekker back to Triple-A Toledo.