Panik's RBI single in 11th lifts Giants past Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Joe Panik's two-out single in the 11th inning scored Nick Hundley as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 Tuesday night.
Hundley doubled into the left field corner with two outs to set up Panik's game-winning hit off Scott Alexander (0-1).
Derek Law (1-0) worked two scoreless innings to pick up the victory. Mark Melancon pitched the bottom of the inning for his third save in four opportunities. Melancon gave up two singles before striking out Raul Mondesi to end the game.
Mike Moustakas singled with one out in the Kansas City 10th, and Paulo Orlando pinch-ran for him. Lorenzo Cain's sharp single moved Orlando to second base. Eric Hosmer, however, grounded into a double play to end the threat.
The Royals went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The Giants tied it at 1-1 in the sixth, which Panik led off with a single to right. Jason Hammel retired the next two batters before walking Brandon Belt. Hunter Pence's two-out single to right scored Panik. Belt tried to score from second on Buster Posey's single to the shallow center field grass, but Mondesi threw him at the plate.
Hammel exited in the seventh after giving up a leadoff double to Brandon Crawford and a single to Eduardo Nunez. With runners on the corners and none out, Peter Moylan replaced Hammel and struck out Hundley.
Left-hander Travis Wood was summoned to face Panik, a left-handed hitter. After Wood walked Panik on five pitches to load the bases, he struck out Chris Marrero looking and retired Denard Span on a grounder to Mondesi.
Hammel allowed one run on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Giants starter Matt Cain was pulled after seven innings. He gave up one run on four hits and two walks, throwing 58 strikes in 86 pitches.
Left-hander Ty Blach replaced Cain and threw only two strikes in nine pitches. He walked Whit Merrifield to lead off the inning and, after Mondesi's sacrifice bunt, Blach hit Alex Gordon with a pitch. Moustakas lined out to right on a 2-0 pitch.
George Kontos was summoned to face Cain and gave up an infield single to load the bases. In came left-hander Steven Okert to face Hosmer, who grounded out to Belt to leave the bases loaded.
Hammel held the Giants hitless for the first four innings -- 16 up and 16 down.
Posey, who was just activated off the concussion list and was the designated hitter instead of the catcher, spoiled Hammel's no-hit bid with a line-drive single to center leading off the fifth.
Hammel stranded Posey at first, retiring the next three batters.
Merrifield, who was just promoted from Triple-A Omaha with a .412 batting average, homered with one out in the bottom of the fifth to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Merrifield took a full-count Cain pitch out the opposite way, 386 feet into the Giants' bullpen.
It was Merrifield's first big league home run since June 15, a span of 219 at-bats.
The Royals had two hits, a walk and a stolen base in the first two innings off Cain, but came away empty. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Gordon led off the first with a double to right-center and Hosmer walked with two outs, but Salvador Perez flied out to left to end the threat.
Brandon Moss singled to start the Royals' second and stole second with one out. That was his first stolen base, equaling his total for last season with St. Louis. Cain retired Merrifield on a ground ball and struck out Mondesi looking to strand Moss.
NOTES: Giants manager Bruce Bochy underwent a minor heart ablation procedure in San Diego after having some discomfort due to an atrial flutter. Bochy will rejoin the club Friday in Colorado. Bench coach Ron Wotus will manage the club in Bochy's absence. ... The Royals recalled INF/OF Whit Merrifield and immediately started him in right field. He replaced RHP Jake Junis, who was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Monday. ... The Giants activated C Buster Posey off the concussion disabled list and designated C Tim Federowicz for assignment. ... Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner and Royals LHP Jason Vargas are the probables for the Wednesday series finale.