SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski homered and drove in four runs, Blake Snell struck out eight in five innings, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 13-2 on Wednesday night.
Jerar Encarnacion also homered and had three RBIs, and Tyler Fitzgerald and Patrick Bailey each had three hits.
“Just good at-bats across the board,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We put some pressure (on the Brewers), had some big hits. (Going) 7 for 15 with runners in scoring position makes a big difference.”
The Giants knocked around Brewers starter Colin Rea (12-5) early, beginning the game with consecutive four-run innings. In the first, a passed ball on Brewers catcher Williams Contreras accounted for the first run. LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with an RBI single, and then Encarnacion hit a a rare opposite-field homer to right to give the Giants a 4-0 lead.
Encarnacion’s homer was the 75th opposite field homer by a right-handed hitter in Oracle Park history and first by a Giant this season.
“I thought it had a chance to go because that’s where most of my power is,” Encarnacion said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “When I saw it leave, I knew it had a chance to go.”
The first four Giants batters had hits in the second inning for four more runs. Fitzgerald had an RBI double, and Yastrzemski followed with a three-run homer. Yastrzemski drove in his fourth run in the fourth inning with an extra-base hit. Matt Chapman homered later in the inning to pad the advantage to 10-1.
Melvin said that Yastrzemski is playing his best baseball of the year.
“Its impressive to watch,” Melvin said. “And he prepares himself to play every day. At this time of year, sometimes you get a little run down … but he’s been fantastic here recently.”
San Francisco tacked on two more runs in the ninth against Jake Bauers, a position player.
Snell (3-3) gave up one run and four hits to get his first home win in a Giants uniform. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner rebounded after going just one inning in his last start. Snell who entered the game with a 1.42 ERA over his prior 11 starts after a sluggish start to the season, said he still has a lot to work on to get to where he wants to be. He said his curveball is not as good as what he’s used to and he’s working on command.
“I’m not far off,” Snell said. “Got to get my timing better, synched up better, and then I’ll be in the zone. I like the way that I’m thinking. I want to be in the zone. I want to attack the zone — just lack of doing it has been pretty frustrating. But to go five today with what I had to battle, it’s good. But the offense carried us.”
The Giants drew a season-low crowd of 22,042 fans, after setting a prior low of 22,855 a week ago against the Diamondbacks.
Rea last just four innings for the third straight start, allowing career highs of 10 runs and 11 hits. The Brewers, who entered the day with an 8 1/2 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central, have lost five of seven.
“It seemed like every ball they hit, there was no fielder there,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Tough one. But Colin hung in there, gave us four innings so we didn’t have to go into our pen any deeper. He didn’t have his great stuff, but I’m confident. … He’s probably a little worn out like a lot of guys are. But there’s no time for that. He’ll bounce back.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RHP Jordan Hicks (right shoulder inflammation) pitched two innings and gave up two unearned runs in a rehab start with Single-A San Jose on Tuesday. Manager Bob Melvin was encouraged by the outing and Hicks’ chances at returning to the big club this season. … LHP Robbie Ray (left hamstring strain) threw 42 pitches in a bullpen session on Wednesday, but Melvin said Ray stopped when he felt fatigued. He will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 5.19 ERA) is scheduled to start the final game of the series, facing Brewers RHP Frankie Montas (6-10, 4.69 ERA).
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