Atlanta Braves vs San Francisco Giants Match Player Stats On May 26, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 27, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Left-hander Jaime Garcia combined with three relievers on a four-hit shutout and produced the only runs of the game with a seventh-inning single, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

Catcher Tyler Flowers had two hits and scored the tie-breaking run for the Braves, who won their sixth straight series opener on the first night of a nine-game trip.

The loss was the Giants' fourth in a row.

Garcia's hit came after the Giants had elected to intentionally walk Dansby Swanson with two outs and Flowers on second base in the seventh inning of a scoreless game.

Hitting left-handed against Giants right-hander Matt Cain, Garcia grounded a single into left field, and the Braves elected to test the arm of Brandon Belt, the Giants' regular first baseman, even with a catcher running.

Flowers and the ball arrived in the vicinity of home plate at about the same time, with the throw deflecting off the runner's leg and away from Giants catcher Nick Hundley, allowing the run to score.

Cain ran down the ball, but his throw to Hundley was too late to get a sliding Swanson, who scored from first base on the play to make it 2-0.

The hit was just Garcia's second of the season. He'd entered the game 1-for-11 with no RBIs this season and had grounded out twice before his at-bat in the seventh.

Cain (3-3) was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh, exiting having allowed two runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Cain had entered the game 3-0 at home with a 1.19 ERA.

Garcia (2-3) walked Brandon Crawford leading off the Giants' half of the seventh and was pulled two batters later, with two outs and a runner on first.

He allowed four hits in his 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Right-handers Jose Ramirez, Arodys Vizcaino and Jim Johnson pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless ball in relief of Garcia. Johnson recorded his 10th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Brandon Phillips and Nick Markakis had doubles for the Braves, who won for the 10th time in their last 15 games.

Atlanta out-hit San Francisco 7-4.

Eduardo Nunez had two of the four hits for the Giants, who were opening a six-game homestand. Nunez extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

The game featured a hidden-ball trick by the Braves with the Giants batting with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

After intentionally walking Buster Posey to load the bases, four Braves met on the mound and Garcia snuck the ball into second baseman Phillips' glove.

Phillips then walked over and tagged the Giants' Nunez near second base, but the umpires ruled time had been called, negating the potential inning-ending out.

Garcia proceeded to get Justin Ruggiano to ground out to third base to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.

NOTES: Braves LHP Jaime Garcia had seven hits (tied for 27th-best among all pitchers) and four RBIs (tied for 16th-best) last season when he batted .171 (7-for-41). ... When the Braves face Giants LHP Ty Blach in the second game of the series on Saturday, it'll be just the fourth time this season they have seen a left-handed starter. ... The Braves haven't won a season series against the Giants since 2011. ... The game was played on the 58th anniversary of Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Harvey Haddix's 12 perfect innings against the Braves, who won the game 1-0 in the 13th.