Arias Drives in 5, As Giants Complete Sweep of Dodgers, 8-4

A Buster Posey-less lineup is generally a sign of the Giants salvaging a game, but Wednesday night was quite the opposite. Perhaps Joaquin Arias sniffed an opportunity to shine in the wake of Posey’s hamstring injury. The utility infielder pumped out five RBIs, including a two-run homer in the first inning that sparked a good overall offensive night for the Giants who prevailed 8-4.

The definition of a catalyst has essentially been Angel Pagan during this three game series against the Dodgers. Once again, he led off the game with a hit (double), and scored the first run of the contest. After he trotted across home plate on Pablo Sandoval’s sacrifice fly in the first inning, it marked the third straight day that he scored the first run of the game.

Matt Cain, who was working without his battery mate in Posey, seemingly clicked with Hector Sanchez behind the dish. The big right-hander yielded the Dodgers’ bats to just a lone run over seven innings. Hunter Pence looked like a lost duck while attempting to track down Andre Ethier’s fly ball. He spun around multiple times only to have the ball drop on the warning track. His misplay led to the first Dodgers’ run, and Cain’s only blemish.

The Giants kicked their offense into full gear during a three run sixth inning. Pagan led off the inning with yet another hit, Marco Scutaro followed with a ground rule double that hopped over the short left field wall. Sandoval would drive in Pagan, Arias would drive in Scutaro, and Justin Christian capped off the inning with a bases loaded walk to extend their lead.

The Dodgers wouldn’t go down easily, though. A three-run eighth inning kept the tiny hope alive to craft a comeback. Clay Hensley began the inning, but after coaxing two straight hits to the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup, he was lifted from the game in favor of Jeremy Affeldt. Affledt wouldn’t help the situation, though. He loaded the bases, forcing skipper Bruce Bochy to bring in Santiago Casilla, who inherited the tense situation. He wasn’t able to close the gap as Luis Cruz slapped a two-run broken bat single into shallow centerfield. Though he stopped the bleeding by starting an inning-ending double play.

Cain surrendered five hits, but didn’t allow any free passes, walking none and striking out five en route to his 13th win of the season.

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Posey's 3-Run Home Run Lifts Giants Over Cardinals 4-2

Three home runs were hit, two were solo shots by Allen Craig, but one was a three-run homer from the surging Buster Posey in the first inning that put the Giants in front early, and they wouldn’t look back, prevailing, 4-2.

Posey, whose hitting .458 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs since the All-Star break, continued his surge on Tuesday night.  On a 1-1 count, he took a curveball from Lance Lynn to right center field that carried into the first row of the seats for his fourth home run in his past five games.

Barry Zito was out to prove the critics wrong again. After being scrutinized for giving up seven runs to the Mets last week, the trust level between him and the world decreased mightily, again. But, as he’s done often this season, he fired back with another gutsy performance against the best offensive team in the National League.  Zito, who has issued 54 walks this season, yielded the Cardinals to no walks on eight hits and four strikeouts.

The Giants’ left-hander zoomed through the first two batters of the game with two punch outs. Though Matt Holiday and Carlos Beltran teamed up for back to back hits off him to create a two out rally in the first inning. Zito, however, induced a chopper to Brandon Crawford at short to end the threat.

Allen Craig would have none of it, though. Craig, who had one home run off Zito in seven at-bats coming into the game, hit two more which ended up being the only two runs St.Louis would get off Zito. The first one came off of a fastball left out over the plate which Craig smashed into the centerfield bleachers. His second homer in the fifth, though, wasn’t a location mistake from Zito. Yet, Craig blasted the pitch into the right field bullpen.

Aside from a pair of solo shots from Craig, who now has three home runs off of Zito is his career, the southpaw was never in much trouble due to his stinginess. However, the Cardinals were slowly beginning to inch their way back into the game, down one heading into the later innings.

The Giants had an opportunity to add some insurance to their three run lead in the second inning with back to back hits from Brandon Crawford and Joaquin Arias, but Lance Lynn erased that opportunity rather quickly. Angel Pagan was carefully pitched around and ultimately walked to load the bases up for Marco Scutaro. Scutaro smacked a ground ball a couple feet away from the third baseman David Freese, but Freese snagged the hard grounder to start an inning ending double play.

The Giants would only salvage a single hit to Lynn over the next three innings.

However, Brandon Belt led off the top of the sixth inning with a single, he then swiftly swiped second base with one out. Joaquin Arias followed him with a one out double that ended the dry spell by scoring Belt from second base.

Clay Hensley relieved Zito with two outs in the seventh mainly because Craig was looming in the on-deck circle sniffing three homers. Hensley would walk Craig, but retire Holiday to close the book on Zito’s outing.

Jeremy Affeldt slammed the door shut with four out save, his third save of the season.

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