Phoenix, AZ – Brett Pill crushed a two-run home run and the Giants pounded out 14 hits to take a 7-3 victory over the Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game set at Chase Field on Sunday.
Barry Zito (2-1) surrendered three runs on five hits and three walks over six innings in the start, while Gregor Blanco knocked in three runs and Melky Cabrera added an RBI and four hits for the Giants, who wrapped up a six-game road trip at 3-3.
"The boys did well," remarked Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "They had some good at bats. They didn't try to do too much up there. They kept the line moving and Pill got a hold of one to help out the cause."
Joe Saunders (2-3) was tagged for six runs on 10 hits and a walk over five frames for Arizona. Jason Kubel smacked three hits and tallied two RBI, but the Diamondbacks finished 1-5 on their six-game homestand.
"It was a tough week, a tough homestand," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "We didn't play well. We didn't have very good execution, anywhere, again."
Arizona pushed a run across in the second as Ryan Roberts worked a leadoff walk and moved to second two batters later on Saunders' bunt. A.J. Pollock then walked and Kubel followed with a single into right field, scoring Roberts for a 1-0 lead.
The Giants responded in their next at-bat as Brandon Crawford launched a one- out double before moving to third on Zito's ground out. Blanco then ripped a single into right, plating Crawford to knot the game, 1-1.
Joaquin Arias and Cabrera then followed with consecutive singles and Cabrera's brought in Blanco to give the Giants a 2-1 advantage.
San Francisco added two more in the fourth as Angel Pagan and Hector Sanchez smacked consecutive singles to start the frame. An intentional walk to Crawford loaded the bases and Blanco followed two batters later with a two-run single into right field to push the margin to 4-1.
The Diamondbacks cut into the lead in the fourth as Roberts smacked a leadoff single and Pollock scored him three batters later with a double into right field. Kubel then added a double of his own to plate Pollock, bringing Arizona within 4-3.
After Cabrera reached base on a leadoff single in the fifth, Pill belted the first pitch he saw into the seats in left to extend the lead to 6-3.
In the seventh, Cabrera and Pagan each singled around a Pill strikeout before Sanchez plated Cabrera with a single to give the Giants a four-run cushion.
Game Notes
Zito improved to 4-8 in 17 career games (16 starts) against Arizona...San Francisco shortstop Charlie Culberson made his major league debut and notched his first big league hit with a single in the fifth...Cabrera extended his hitting-streak to 11 games.
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