Real pitching seen; series "ofer" avoided

Pitching makes all the difference. It wasn't classic Madison Bumgarner, but it was good enough.

Bumgarner threw six innings of scoreless ball, the Giants used homers from Hunter Pence and Buster Posey for fuel, and the Giants salvaged the final game of a three-spot at Citi Field on Sunday by beating the Mets 6-1.

The win moved San Francisco back to break even at 13-13, ended a two-game mini-slide, and snapped an eight-game win streak for the hosts. Rude guests, eh?

Can we get some love for this guy? (Getty Images)

Pitch count was scary after three innings with Bumgarner at 61 while Noah Syndergaard had yet to reach 50. New York had put runners on base in each stanza, yet it was New York's flamethrower who cracked first.

With one out an runners at the corners in the fourth, Posey was running on Brandon Belt's routine grounder, turning the would-be double play into an RBI ground out. CSN Bay Area reported Posey went on his own, a move that looked even smarter when Pence followed with an opposite-field blast.

Posey taking off was daring, but showed what the Giants need to do to create runs --play smart baseball. Well, that and pitch. Syndergaard is rough on hitters but holds runners about as well as Robb Nen used to -- a total Plus 9 in your Strat-O-Matic league. If you get your first career steal off him, it doesn't count and you get fined in the kangaaroo court.

The Giants had stolen eight bases all season. They got four on Sunday.

MadBum had an easier go of it in the lower half of the fourth (14 pitches) but he got help. 

Can we get some love for Brandon Crawford? His dive and throw for the second out was SportsCenter material, and when you see the replay watch Kelby Tomlinson trying to backhand a phantom then figure out where the ball went.

Pence struck again in the sixth, cleaning up Matt Duffy, who had singled and stolen second.  Syndergaard was gone, and the Giants led 4-zip.

Bumgarner remained but was well into triple-digit pitches when the Mets loaded the bags in their half of the sixth. Pinch hitter Asdrubal Cabrerra became MadBum's seventh strikeout victim, ending the threat and his tenure on the hill after 114 tosses.

Angel Pagan singled to plate Tomlinson (walk, stolen base)  but pulled up lame, leaving in favor of Gregor Blanco. Pagan icould miss the upcoming series at Cincy with a mild hamstring as the injuries continue to pile up.

This guy can hit just a bit. (Getty Images)

Also entering the game was reliever Derek Law, who immediately got into trouble. His second pitch was ripped into the right field corner for a fan-touched double. Thus began the parade of relievers.

Law saw two guys, with an RBI single getting the Mets off the donut and sending Law to the bench before he'd worked up a sweat. Javy Lopez faced one hitter (fly out) and Cory Gearrin got Yoenus Cespedes to ground into a 6-4-3 inning ended. Crisis averted.

Posey got that run back, taking a first-pitch change up from Logan Verrett well beyond the wall in left center to end the scoring.

Not that it didn't get interesting. Gearrin allowed two hits in the eighth and needed help from Josh Osich to get out of the mess, and the always-entertaining (and terrifying) Santiago Casilla worked the ninth, walking his first man before getting the required three outs.

The Giants remain tied atop the woeful NL West with Los Angeles (which saw it's six-game slide end at home when the Padres remembered they were the Padres and got shut out ... again)  and 12-12 Colorado (which seems to have gotten all 12 wins against the Giants -- who cares, they'll fold).

A bigger issue is injuries. Pagan may not hit the line-up again before the team returns home and Joe Panik remains sidelined with a groin strain and is out until at least Tuesday. There's no timetable for Sergio Romo and George Kontos to return, Ehire Adrianza is on the 60-day DL, and there's a rumor someone got gas from the post-game spread.

The Giants are, short term, down to just three outfielders so a roster move is imminent. Mac Williamson is eligible to return but Jarrett Parker has the hot bat with a three-homer day Sunday for Sacramento. Say tuned.  

It's on to Cincinnati, where Johnny Cueto (4-1, 2.65 ERA) and Brandon Finnegan (1-1, 3.86 ERA) square off in the first of three.

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