Giants at Braves
The San Francisco Giants are playing some of their best baseball of the season entering Saturday’s contest at the Atlanta Braves, and shortstop Brandon Crawford is showing signs of life at the plate after an extended slump. Crawford, who snapped a 5-for-47 skid with two hits Wednesday, collected three hits – including his third homer of the season – and drove in two runs in Friday’s 9-4 victory over the Braves, the Giants’ eighth victory in their past 11 games.
Third baseman Evan Longoria added two hits, and his ninth-inning homer put him one base hit shy of 1,500 for his career. The Braves debuted a new third baseman Friday, promoting Jose Bautista from Triple-A Gwinnett, and Bautista responded with a double off the wall in his first at-bat in finishing 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. The Braves look to rebound after their five-game winning streak ended, and while Atlanta starting pitchers had not allowed more than one run in five consecutive starts, the Giants torched Mike Foltynewicz for six runs in the second to take the series opener. Right fielder Nick Markakis and first baseman Freddie Freeman, who started the day among the National League leaders in hitting, both homered in a losing cause.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Ty Blach (2-3, 4.10 ERA) vs. Braves RH Brandon McCarthy (4-0, 3.09)
Blach has pitched fairly well since giving up six runs in his second start of the season, posting a 3.54 ERA with 27 hits allowed in his past 28 innings. The 27-year-old beat the Dodgers on Sunday in his last start, allowing two runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in six innings. Blach beat Atlanta in his only career appearance, giving up two runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings last season.
McCarthy has provided the Braves even more than they hoped for so far, a veteran presence in the rotation who began the weekend tied for second in the NL in wins. The 34-year-old held Philadelphia to one run on five hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings Sunday, the third time in his past four starts McCarthy has allowed one run. He is 1-3 with a 7.34 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against the Giants.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta placed SS Dansby Swanson on the 10-day disabled list Friday with left wrist inflammation, and Johan Camargo went 1-for-2 with two walks in his place.
2. San Francisco CF Andrew McCutchen, who was hit with a pitch on the left elbow Wednesday, started and finished 1-for-3 with two walks.
3. Markakis hit his sixth homer of the season Friday; he hit eight all of last season, the sixth coming on Aug. 4.