Giants 4, Braves 2
SAN FRANCISCO -- Veteran Tim Hudson beat the Atlanta Braves for the first time in his career Friday night, outdueling young right-hander Mike Foltynewicz in the San Francisco Giants' 4-2 victory.
Catcher Buster Posey drove in three runs with a home run and a double, providing all the offense Hudson and two relievers would need to pitch the Giants into first place in the National League West with a sixth consecutive home win.
Hudson, a nine-year employee of the Braves from 2005-2013, allowed one run on five hits in seven innings in his second-ever start against Atlanta. The 39-year-old has now beaten 29 of the 30 major league teams -- all but the club that initially drafted him in 1997, the Oakland Athletics.
Center fielder Cameron Maybin drove in the Braves' lone run off Hudson in the third inning, snapping a string of 39 consecutive scoreless innings at home for the Giants' staff. The streak equalled the all-time franchise record, set originally as New York Giants in 1948.
Hudson (3-4), who was roughed up for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in his previous start at Colorado, struck out four and did not walk a batter. The win was the 217th of his career, tops among active pitchers.
Right-hander Hunter Strickland pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and closer Santiago Casilla recorded his 15th save despite giving up a solo home run to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman in the ninth.
Atlanta took advantage of two Casilla walks to put the potential tying runs on base with two outs in the ninth, but left fielder Todd Cunningham grounded out to second base to end it.
The Giants' 15th win in their last 17 games, coupled with the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-0 loss at St. Louis, allowed the defending World Series champions to claim sole possession of first place in the NL West for the first time this season. San Francisco leads the division by a half-game.
The victory improved the Giants' record in May to 21-7, giving them their first 21-win month since September of 1965.
Foltynewicz (3-2), making just his third career start, matched Hudson nearly pitch-for-pitch. He went 6 2/3 innings, limiting the Giants to just three additional hits after giving up second baseman Joe Panik's one-out single and Posey's two-out homer in the first.
The 23-year-old walked one and struck out eight, his fifth consecutive start with seven or more strikeouts. It's the second-longest active streak in the majors.
For the second night in a row, the Giants broke the game open in the eighth inning against the Atlanta bullpen. This time, they picked on right-hander Jim Johnson.
Posey, whose two-run homer in the first inning had provided all the Giants' scoring to that point, increased the lead to 3-1 with a ground-rule double that scored Panik. Shortstop Brandon Crawford's second hit, an RBI single, plated Posey to complete the scoring.
Posey and Crawford combined for four of the Giants' seven hits. San Francisco out-hit Atlanta 7-6.
Maybin and shortstop Andrelton Simmons had two hits apiece for the Braves, who have reached the midpoint of their 10-game Western swing with a 1-4 record. Atlanta has lost 16 of its last 18 games on the West Coast.
NOTES: Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who made 16 relief appearances for the Houston Astros in 2014, had never previously faced any current Giants hitters. ... The last time RHP Tim Hudson pitched against the Braves, it was for the Oakland Athletics on June 10, 2003. His pitching rival that day: RHP Greg Maddux. The A's won the game 4-3, but Hudson did not get a decision. ... Braves LF Kelly Johnson played catch and took a handful of practice swings before Friday's game, his first baseball-related activities since suffering a strained right oblique on May 12. There is no timetable for his return from the disabled list. ... The Giants announced that RHP Erik Cordier, after declining an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento, changed his mind after getting a new contract. Cordier began the season on the disabled list because of forearm cramping he experienced in spring training. ... Upon further review: University of California quarterback Jared Goff caught Giants SS Brandon Crawford's one-hopper in the left-field bleachers in the eighth inning Thursday night.