Samardzija, Crawford help Giants edge Marlins
MIAMI -- Jeff Samardzija beat David Phelps in a pitching duel between former Notre Dame teammates as the San Francisco Giants posted a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon at Marlins Park.
Brandon Crawford provided the big blow by going deep in the fourth inning for his 11th homer of the season. He pulled a 3-2 pitch from Phelps and barely got the ball over the fence in right field.
Santiago Casilla earned his 26th save, working around a two-out double by Ichiro Suzuki. Casilla struck out J.T. Realmuto on three pitches to end the game.
Samardzija (10-8) snapped a three-game losing streak, pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits - all singles - and three walks while striking out three.
Phelps, who teamed with Samardzija in 2006 to lead Notre Dame to a Big East championship, fell to 5-6 despite yielding just the one run in five innings.
Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds - an ex-Giants star - was ejected in the sixth inning by plate umpire Corey Blaser. Bonds argued after Marlins pinch-hitter Chris Johnson struck out looking on a pitch that was shown by TV replays to be outside the strike zone.
Johnson's strikeout got Giants reliever Will Smith out of a two-on, two-out jam, preserving a 1-0 lead.
The Giants (65-49) took two out of three games from the Marlins (60-54) in this important series. The Giants are battling the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in a close NL West race while the Marlins are tangling with the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second wild card.
Miami closed the series with no runs in its final 17 innings and just two n 25 frames. The Marlins have been shut out five times since the All-Star break.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (sore hip) was not in the lineup, although manager Don Mattingly said this had already been scheduled as a rest day. ... Giants C Buster Posey returned to the lineup after injuring a finger while sliding on Monday. ... Giants LHP Josh Osich (strained left forearm) had his first rehab assignment on Tuesday at Double-A Richmond, getting just one out while allowing three walks and a run. ... 1B Xavier Scruggs, who hit .283 with nine homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games at Triple-A New Orleans, was named Miami's Minor League Hitter of the Month. ... After a day off on Thursday, the Marlins play host to the Chicago White Sox for three games this weekend. ... The Giants start a 10-game homestand on Friday, beginning with three against the Baltimore Orioles.