San Francisco Giants pitcher Chris Stratton works against the San Diego Padres during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO-What a nice night for the San Francisco Giants to get some offense, especially with 100 losses looming on the horizon.
Well, with their 8-0 victory over the San Diego Padres, the Giants’ chances to lose 100 games is nil, as the team won their 63rd game against 97 losses.
The 1985 Giants remain the only team in team history to ever lose 100 games in a season, and the next season, the Giants won 79 games and in 1987, they won their first National League Western Division Championship since 1971.
Chris Stratton pitched a great game, as he went 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out seven and the right-hander finished the 2017 season with a record of 4-4.
Buster Posey got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning, as he drove in Joe Panik, who singled with one out in the inning. Brandon Crawford then drove in Posey with a single and then Pablo Sandoval made it three run scoring hits in a row, as he doubled in Crawford for the third and final run of the inning.
All was quiet on the Shores of McCovey Cove until the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Giants erupted for four runs to extend their lead up to 7-0.
Panik got the party started in the bottom of the fourth inning, as after Nick Hundley and Stratton made the first two outs of the inning, Hunter Pence began a streak of five straight Giants players to reach base.
It was a big night for Panik, as he went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a run batted in.
Hunter Pence singled then Panik doubled him in, then Posey hit his second of three doubles to score Panik and then Crawford singled in both Denard Span, who walked and Posey.
The Giants added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Posey hit his third double of the night that scored Pence.
All three of Posey’s doubles ended with a run scoring, as the Giants got their biggest run differential win since June 2, when Ty Blach shutout the Philadelphia Phillies 10-0.
NOTES: Matt Cain will make his final start of his 13-year major league career on Saturday afternoon, as he will face Jhoulys Chacin, who is looking for his 14th win of the season.
This will be the 331st and final start for Cain in his career, the second most in San Francisco Giants history behind Juan Marichal who made 446 starts for the Giants.
On the 63rd anniversary of Willie Mays famous catch in Game One of the 1954 World Series, Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred announced that the World Series MVP Award will be renamed the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player, this is effective with the 2017 World Series.
