SAN FRANCISCO — After a 12-24 start to the season when nearly everything went wrong, the breaks are finally starting to go in favor of the San Francisco Giants.
Eduardo Nunez was credited with a two-run infield single when Los Angeles pitcher Brandon McCarthy lost track of a baserunner and the Giants beat the Dodgers 8-4 on Monday night for their season-high fourth straight win.
The hit by Nunez that scored Brandon Crawford from second base was the key play in a four-run fourth inning that broke the game open and helped Matt Cain (3-1) earn his second win of the season against the Dodgers.
“We’ve gotten so many of those this year,” Crawford said sarcastically about the fortunate break. “That’s just something that happens. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. It’s just one of those things in baseball, you see something new every day.”
San Francisco opened the inning with three straight hits off McCarthy (3-1), with an RBI double by Crawford putting the Giants up 2-1. That’s when things really got interesting.
With runners on second and third, Nunez hit a broken-bat grounder up the middle that shortstop Corey Seager fielded just beyond the infield dirt. Buster Posey easily scored from third on the play. Crawford appeared in trouble when third-base coach Phil Nevin waved him around third not realizing Seager had fielded the ball.
Seager made an off-balance throw toward home that McCarthy cut off on the mound after he had forgotten to back up home. With his back to the plate, McCarthy didn’t see Crawford caught between third and home and instead focused on Nunez, who took a wide turn around first and didn’t stop.
McCarthy had to wait to throw to second until Seager got back there, and Nunez slid in safely while Crawford easily scored the third run of the inning.
“He shouldn’t have been in the middle of the diamond,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The mechanics of the play, he should have been behind home plate, so that’s where it gets funky from the beginning. … He’s not used to being in that situation, having the feel or the awareness of the baserunner.”
Nunez then stole third when McCarthy failed to keep him close, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Giants added two runs in the seventh against Grant Dayton when Posey hit his fifth homer in his past seven games, and Nunez added an RBI double.
“Those guys in there have gone through some tough times in the early go,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’re not going to get giddy here. We’ve dug ourselves a hole. Every day we have to come out and try to play our best game. These guys are doing that right now. You want to believe the work was going to turn and at this point it has.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: 1B Adrian Gonzalez (right elbow) is expected to play seven innings in the first game of his rehab assignment Tuesday for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. 2B Logan Forsythe (toe) is expected to get three ABs in the game as the DH.
Giants: RF Hunter Pence was placed on the 10-day DL retroactive to Saturday with a strained left hamstring. Pence said he hopes to be ready to come off when eligible May 23. … Closer Mark Melancon (sore forearm) threw a 22-pitch bullpen session and is expected to be activated from the DL in the next couple of days.
CAIN’S MILESTONE
When he completed the third inning, Cain became the 12th Giants pitcher to reach the 2,000-innings mark with the franchise. The last pitcher to get to 2,000 innings with the Giants was Gaylord Perry in 1970.
Cain allowed an RBI double to Yasmani Grandal in the third inning and nothing else in 6 2/3 innings of work. He has allowed one run in 12 2/3 innings against Los Angeles this season.
CALLED UP
Mac Williamson was called up for the first time this year to replace Pence and made an immediate impact with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Williamson started the season in the minors after a quadriceps injury in spring training and just recently found is groove.
UP NEXT
Rich Hill (1-1) is set to come off the DL because of a blister to make the start for the Dodgers against Ty Blach (0-2).
