The Sports Xchange
May 28, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO -- Nick Hundley and Brandon Belt supported Ty Blach with two early home runs, and the left-hander pitched effectively into the eighth inning Saturday night, delivering the San Francisco Giants a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Blach (3-2) won his third consecutive start, limiting the Braves to two runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five in his longest outing of the season as San Francisco snapped a four-game losing streak.
Blach took a shutout and a 5-0 lead into the eighth before a one-out double by pinch-hitter Rio Ruiz and singles by Ender Inciarte and Brandon Phillips got the Braves on the scoreboard.
A second run scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Nick Markakis, before right-hander Derek Law came on and served up a double by Matt Kemp.
Law then got Matt Adams to ground out as the potential tying run.
After the Giants had increased their lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Danny Santana's RBI triple off Law got Atlanta back within three in the top of the ninth.
Giants closer Mark Melancon came on to retire the only two batters he faced for his 10th save.
Hundley hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Belt a solo shot in the fourth, helping stake Blach to the five-run lead and ending the night early for Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (3-5).
Hundley, the San Francisco backup catcher, had three hits, including an eighth-inning RBI single off the fourth Braves pitcher, left-hander Ian Krol, that capped the Giants' scoring.
Hundley scored twice and had three RBIs for the Giants, who had totaled only six runs during their losing streak.
Blach added two singles to the Giants' nine-hit attack.
Catcher Tyler Flowers had two singles for the Braves, who were outhit 9-8.
Foltynewicz, who had won his previous three starts, was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth. He allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings, walked one and struck out four.
He'd allowed a total of five earned runs during his winning streak.
Hundley's homer, which opened the scoring, might have been avoided with better Braves' defense. Third baseman Danny Santana bobbled a potential inning-ending double play ball, getting only the lead runner and setting the stage for Hundley's two-run blast to left field.
The Giants added two more runs after Belt's homer in the fourth, getting four consecutive two-out hits. Blach drove in one run with a single and Denard Span the other with a double, making it 5-0.
NOTES: C Nick Hundley's two-run homer was just the Giants' eighth this season with a runner aboard. Their other 34 homers, including Saturday's by 1B Brandon Belt, have been solo shots. ... Giants LF Eduardo Nunez went 0-for-3 with a walk, ending his career-high, 12-game hitting streak. ... The Braves have won the opener in each of their last six series. They're now 4-2 in the second games of those series. ... The Braves were facing a left-handed starting pitcher for only the fourth time this season, the fewest in the majors. ... Golden State Warriors big men Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee were among the sellout crowd.