Giants at Braves
Matt Adams provided more evidence Wednesday why the Atlanta Braves want to keep him on the field after Freddie Freeman returns from a broken wrist, as they enter Thursday’s home contest with the San Francisco Giants looking to win the four-game series. Adams slugged a two-run fourth-inning homer in Wednesday’s 5-3 victory, his 11th longball in 30 games in a Braves uniform coming a few hours after Freeman told reporters he plans to move to third base upon his return to keep Adams in the lineup.
Left fielder Matt Kemp was 2-for-14 on Atlanta’s homestand before hitting a two-run, walkoff homer in the 11th inning Wednesday to give the Braves their sixth victory in their past nine games. The Giants rallied for single runs in the eighth and ninth innings before falling for the 17th time in their past 22 contests. San Francisco infielder Eduardo Nunez (strained left hamstring) has missed five of the past six games, but has reached base in his past 30 games - the longest active streak in the majors. Right fielder Hunter Pence homered in the ninth to force extra innings, and is batting .360 with two homers on San Francisco’s road trip.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Matt Cain (3-6, 4.99 ERA) vs. Braves LH Jaime Garcia (2-5, 3.59)
Cain looks for something positive as he enters Thursday 0-5 with a 6.25 ERA in his past six starts, a stretch during which opponents are hitting .370. His second loss in that span came against the Braves on May 26 in San Francisco, allowing one earned run on seven hits in seven innings of a 2-0 defeat. The 32-year-old Cain, who makes his 15th start of the season, is 4-3 with a 3.16 ERA in nine career starts against Atlanta.
Garcia earned the victory against Cain last month, firing 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits allowed and five strikeouts. He is 0-2 in four starts since and struggled in a no-decision Saturday against Miami, allowing six runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Garcia, who has struck out 16 in his past 12 2/3 innings, is 4-1 in nine career games (eight starts) against the Giants with a 2.54 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants CF Denard Span collected three hits Wednesday and is batting .387 in his past eight games.
2. Freeman, who played just five games at third base in rookie ball in 2007, confirmed to reporters Wednesday he approached Atlanta management with the idea of switching positions.
3. The Braves have slugged 73 homers through 71 games after launching just 33 in the first 71 contests of 2016.