Game Wrap 8/31/2016: Giants 4 D'Backs 2

Pitch count got in the way of a Quality Start by Matt Moore, but  the bullpen picked him up and the offense scratched out just enough runs for the W.  Key Lines:

Joe Panik- 3 for 4.  BA= .257.  With Denard Span on the bench with a stiff neck, Panik moved up to #2 in the order and delivered a 3-hit game.

Buster Posey- 1 for 3, 2B, SF.  BA= .296.  Buster is not trying to do too much and keeping the line moving in this one was enough.

Brandon Crawford- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .276.  Crawford did not figure directly in any scoring, but the line, he kept in moving.

Hunter Pence- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .281.  Pence drove in 1 run but the 6, 7 and 8 hitters did not drive him in.

Gorkys Hernandez- 1 for 4.  BA= .188.  Bochy thought about putting Jarrett Parker in CF for more offense, but settled on Hernandez for his D.  The move paid off when Hernandez made a leaping catch of a Goldy drive at the wall which would likely have driven in AJ Pollack from 1B had it eluded Gorkys.

Conor Gillaspie- 1 for 1, 3B.  BA= .250.  Gillaspie has been a terrific bat off the bench for the Giants.

Matt Moore- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.88.  That line does not look like he threw 92 pitches in 5.1 innings, but he did.  Still, I think the Giants will take that every start if that's what he gives.

Hunter Strickland- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.52.  Strickland got the game to the 8'th inning.

Santiago Casilla- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(29).  ERA= 3.22.  Casilla had to bail Romo out of the 8'th inning, so we'll forgive the run he gave up.

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The Dodgers scored 8 runs in the final 2 frames of their twinbill with the Rockies to salvage the nightcap 10-8 after losing the opener 7-0.  Thus, the Giants were only able to gain 0.5 games and trail the Bad Guys by 1.5 games in the NL West.  The Giants lead the Cardinals by 2 games for the first Wild Card playoff spot and lead the Mets by 3.5 games for the second and final WC berth.

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The Giants now head to Chicago for a 4 games series against the big bad Cubs while the Dodgers get to play the Padres for 4 games.  Hey!  Sometimes the Padres can surprise you!

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With rosters expanding, the Giants activated Mac Williamson and Josh Osich from the DL and called up Kelby Tomlinson, Ty Blach, Steven Okert and Matt Reynolds from Sacramento.  They may add more when Sacramento's season is over after Labor Day.