By: Joe Lami

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—Entering Sunday afternoon, the San Francisco Giants were held scoreless for 19 straight innings, as they were shutout on both Friday and Saturday by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The streak would be carried to 24 innings, as the Giants finally ended the streak with a rally in the sixth in the 5-1 victory.

Angel Pagan led the inning off with a base hit to left, just the second hit of the game for San Francisco. Alejandro De Aza followed Pagan and started the at-bat by trying to lay down a bunt on the first pitch. However, the bunt was taken off for the second pitch where De Aza lined one down the left-field line bringing in Pagan in the process and giving the Giants the lead. 

Buster Posey would come to the plate with two on after Matt Duffy walked on five pitches and hit his 19th homer of the season to the left field power alley. The three-run wall scraper brought his RBI total up to 93 on the season. “You’ll see Buster get some (MVP) votes,” added Giants’ manager, Bruce Bochy.

The sixth-inning explosion was much needed as the Giants had been shut out in 35 straight innings at home against Arizona.

Tim Hudson was on the mound for San Francisco in what is most likely his second to last start at AT&T Park, as the veteran is heading towards retirement at the end of the season.

“The guys wanted to find a way to get a win for him,” said Bochy. Hudson added, “I don’t have too many more of these, I’m taking each one as it was my last and I’m just having fun”.

It was an impressive one for Hudson, as he earns his eighth win on the season pitching six shutout innings while giving up four hits and striking out three.

““He did his job, and we found him a way to get him the win,” comment Bochy.

Hudson used the ground ball to great effect early on.  Arizona got early base runners in both the first and second innings, but Hudson was able to get the ground balls needed, earning two double plays in the first five outs of the game. 

Hudson continues his dominance over Arizona, as his career record improves to 11-2 over the D-backs.

Matt Duffy was brought home to make it 5-0 in the eighth inning, as he led the inning off with a walk. Duffy then stole his ninth base of the year to remain perfect on steal attempts. Bochy later added “Duffy runs the bases better than anyone on the club”.  Rookie, Jarrett Parker earned his third career RBI on a base hit to right.

Santiago Casilla came to pitch the ninth and gave up the lonely Diamondbacks run to David Peralta who smacked his 16th home run on a solo shot to right.

Hudson’s next time out is scheduled to be against his first team, the Oakland A’s. He’s especially looking forward to the chance he goes up against his former buddy, Barry Zito, who pitched an inning in Oakland’s 5-1 loss to Houston. “I’m looking forward to my next start in Oakland. It’s going to be a lot of fun to take the mound where I started my career. If things work out, things would be a lot of fun for the both of us. He’s been a great friend and a great teammate for a lot of years, and I’m glad they brought him up. It would be fun to be on the same field as him, and hopefully we’ll be pitching at the same time,” he added.