Giants beat Indians on Hicks' walk
Posted: 04/27/2014 04:02:40 PM PDT
Updated: 04/27/2014 04:04:34 PM PDT
SAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Hicks clobbered a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning Sunday as the Giants completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with a 4-1 walk-off victory.
Buster Posey started the ninth with a single up the middle off reliever Cody Allen. Pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco then sacrificed pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza to second.
Three batters later, Hicks smashed Allen's delivery over the left-field fence and sent a sellout crowd home happy for the third straight day.
The Giants matched their season-high win streak with a fourth straight victory. They first won four straight from April 2-5, with two against the Diamondbacks and two against the Dodgers.
Sergio Romo picked up the victory with a scoreless ninth for the Giants.
Ryan Vogelsong rebounded from his shortest outing as a member of the Giants with one of his more dominant performances as he pitched seven scoreless innings.
Vogelsong allowed two hits and two walks in seven innings before he departed to a standing ovation.
The Giants broke a scoreless tie Sunday with a run in the fourth on back-to-back, two out doubles by Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Crawford.
Sandoval slashed his down the left-field line. Crawford turned on a Salazar pitch and yanked it past first base, just inside the foul line and into the visiting bullpen.
Michael Morse followed with a towering drive to left-center. Indians center fielder Michael Bourn made a nice running catch just in front of the wall to end the threat.
The Indians tied the game on the first batter faced by Santiago Casilla in relief of Vogelsong. Yan Gomes smashed a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence to make it 1-1.
The run off Casilla snapped a string of 19 consecutive innings without allowing a run for Giants relievers at home.
It marked quite a bounce-back effort from Vogelsong, who allowed six hits - three of those were home runs -- three walks in the 13 batters he faced against the Rockies last Monday. He gave up five runs and absorbed the loss in that game.
He retired 12 straight batters after he allowed a leadoff walk in the fourth. In doing so, he made it through the seventh unscathed and surpassed his longest outing of the season. He also lowered his ERA from 7.71 to 5.40.
Posey started at catcher Sunday, making it three straight games behind the plate.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he had no problem using Posey in that capacity, given Posey had two days off before the Indians series.
He did consider using Posey at first base Sunday and giving Brandon Belt the day off.
Belt entered the game 2 for 16 in his past four games, with seven strikeouts. He went 0 for 8 with five strikeouts in the first two games against the Indians.
Bochy said Belt is 'in between with his timing pitches' and just going through one of those 'deals' that all hitters go through during the course of a long season.
'I thought maybe he could use a blow here today,' Bochy said. 'At the same time, we need his defense out there, too. He has been doing a great job.'
Belt struck out swinging in all three of his at-bats against Salazar and once against Allen on Sunday as his average dipped to .263.
The Giants surpassed the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League record with their 258th straight sellout Sunday.
The Giants streak now is the third-longest streak ever. The Boston Red Sox (794) and Indians (455) hold the top two spots.
'Incredible, it really is,' Bochy said. 'I know that was quite a run that Philly had. For us to pass that is impressive.
'We're very grateful, thankful for the support that we get here. It is tremendous. We feel it every day. We very much appreciate it. I know those players do because they talk about it.'
Former Giants left fielder Barry Bonds made an appearance in the locker room before the game.
Bochy said Bonds showing up probably will be more commonplace now that Bonds has moved to San Francisco.
'I'm sure he'll come by and say hello,' Bochy said.
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